CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[Triode User]

Well there is a bit less harshness with the Super 3, but i feel like the soundstage was more three dimensional with the standard one on some tracks. It's only noticeable on live stuff though, and even there it's hard to tell. This is all in crazy nitpicking territory . I am curious if it is more noticeable on speaker systems.

Again, 'more depth', 'more dimensional soundstage', bigger soundstage' or 'more three dimsensional' are normally indicators of more RF noise artefacts. I find if one finds a track that is quite top heavy and play it quite loud it will pretty quickly be apparent which alternative is harsher / more fatiguing when using the same volume.

 

[adrianm]

Again, 'more depth', 'more dimensional soundstage', bigger soundstage' or 'more three dimsensional' are normally indicators of more RF noise artefacts. I find if one finds a track that is quite top heavy and play it quite loud it will pretty quickly be apparent which alternative is harsher / more fatiguing when using the same volume.

Well with solo Dave Optical sounds like it has more depth than usb, so how can that be the case? Why would less depth be better? what's the point of the m-scaler in that case, that's really the main benefits i'm noticing, depth and a bit more width overs solo Dave. The timbre and texture improvements are only there like 1% of the time, but i can easily chalk that up to the recordings. I usually listen at pretty low volumes but i'll give it a go.

 

[Triode User]

The trouble is of course that we all have to try to use words to describe what we are hearing. Depth might mean one thing to you and something completely different to me. I have found the only reliable way is to hear it with someone else and then you can compare notes about what you have both heard.

 

[adrianm]

The trouble is of course that we all have to try to use words to describe what we are hearing. Depth might mean one thing to you and something completely different to me. I have found the only reliable way is to hear it with someone else and then you can compare notes about what you have both heard.

Well to me it means..distance from the microphone basically. Using a song i've used to test my mains filter, Rose Tattoo by Dropkick Murphys, the stock psu is considerably less harsh than the Farad, though the lpsu does seem to accentuate some details and seem more transparent, it is a lot more fatiguing at a higher volume.
That sounds like the fake transparency induced by Rf, but even if it isn't , i could hardly get through the whole song with it turned up, whereas with the stock psu i have no trouble. So i'm definitely closing the book on lpsu's.
Time to test the streamer.

 

[adrianm]

No offense but if i get why people with lpsus feel the need to ferrite their cables.

 

[Mircea C.]

Has any one tried the Supra Optical cable? It is suppose to transmit high band width, guaranteed for 32 bit/384 kHz. Up to 20 metre cables are available. I'm not sure if the Supra connectors will fit the Dave though?

I am using Supra Cable and I think is an excellent cable (same for their USB cable), however I am using it into MScaler without any issues up to and including 192 Khz. I just tested on the Dave before posting this and on my Dave and is working only up to 96Khz It looks like the optical ports on various Chord products behave differently (it has been reported before that Mojo, Hugo are less sensitive than Dave).The cables fits and clicks on both Dave and Mscaler. I'm getting 192Khz with the Supra into Hugo 2 as well.

 

[Triode User]

Well to me it means..distance from the microphone basically. Using a song i've used to test my mains filter, Rose Tattoo by Dropkick Murphys, the stock psu is considerably less harsh than the Farad, though the lpsu does seem to accentuate some details and seem more transparent, it is a lot more fatiguing at a higher volume.
That sounds like the fake transparency induced by Rf, but even if it isn't , i could hardly get through the whole song with it turned up, whereas with the stock psu i have no trouble. So i'm definitely closing the book on lpsu's.
Time to test the streamer.

By the way, I wasn’t arguing against your thoughts. I also tried the Farad with the mscaler and likewise also did not like the pairing at all. I found it overly bright, not at all smooth and quite fatiguing (this was in contrast to using one with the Qutest where I really liked the Farad). But do not write off all lpsu as being tarred with the same brush. The lpsu I am using is like chalk and cheese compared to the Farad / mscaler pairing. I even find it better than a poweradd battery.

 

[adrianm]

I am using Supra Cable and I think is an excellent cable (same for their USB cable), however I am using it into MScaler without any issues up to and including 192 Khz. I just tested on the Dave before posting this and on my Dave and is working only up to 96Khz It looks like the optical ports on various Chord products behave differently (it has been reported before that Mojo, Hugo are less sensitive than Dave).The cables fits and clicks on both Dave and Mscaler. I'm getting 192Khz with the Supra into Hugo 2 as well.

Now that you mention it, my Qed optical cable also has no problem playing 24/196 to the m-scaler, just tested it. It seems Dave is the problem.

 

[adrianm]

By the way, I wasn’t arguing against your thoughts. I also tried the Farad with the mscaler and likewise also did not like the pairing at all. I found it overly bright, not at all smooth and quite fatiguing (this was in contrast to using one with the Qutest where I really liked the Farad). But do not write off all lpsu as being tarred with the same brush. The lpsu I am using is like chalk and cheese compared to the Farad / mscaler pairing. I even find it better than a poweradd battery.

It's honestly not worth the hassle to me, the m-scaler is growing on me, but it's such a small improvement that it's not worth investing the time to test everything under the sun to improve it even further.
This has renewed my faith in Chord though, last week with that optical cable it sounded like a mess. I'm also going to A/B this optical cable against the stock Dave one just in case someone's interested if there's a difference.

 

[Progisus]

I’ve found the Chord supplied optical and usb cables have worked as expected and will give 192 and 768 respectively on all my dacs. The bnc’s were rubbish.

 

[adrianm]

If anyone else really doesn't want/need Roon :
https://www.whathifi.com/news/first-tidal-connect-enabled-products-confirmed-bluos-kef-naim-and-more

 

[Paul Bjernklo]

Again, 'more depth', 'more dimensional soundstage', bigger soundstage' or 'more three dimsensional' are normally indicators of more RF noise artefacts. I find if one finds a track that is quite top heavy and play it quite loud it will pretty quickly be apparent which alternative is harsher / more fatiguing when using the same volume.

Maybe I am mistaken but Rob W in my mind has always said that more depth (which is better) is a sign of less RFI, but wider soundstage the opposite and suggests more RFI.

I may be wrong but post 11230 on the Dave thread (and many others) suggest otherwise. Happy to learn though so do please chime in with your thoughts;

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/chord-electronics-dave.766517/page-749#post-14245642

Edit: And as per a previous post that may be why Optical cable sound better than USB in that system

 

[adrianm]

Maybe I am mistaken but Rob W in my mind has always said that more depth is a sign of less RFI, but wider soundstage the opposite.

II may be wrong but post 11230 on the Dave thread (and many others) suggest otherwise. Happy to learn though so do please chime in with your thoughts;

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/chord-electronics-dave.766517/page-749#post-14245642

That's what i remembered as well, but even if not, the Farad is clearly more fatiguing. That said i think people said at one point that the m-scaler psu injects noise back into the mains, maybe the fact that they're both plugged into the mains filter helps, not sure.
Either way the stock is clearly better and less fatiguing to my ears. As is optical vs usb.

 

[Paul Bjernklo]

That's what i remembered as well, but even if not, the Farad is clearly more fatiguing. That said i think people said at one point that the m-scaler psu injects noise back into the mains, maybe the fact that they're both plugged into the mains filter helps, not sure.
Either way the stock is clearly better and less fatiguing to my ears. As is optical vs usb.

I have lost track of the QED optical cable you are using but if it is the Reference optical quartz that should be among the best, if not why not try an often recommended Kabeldirekt optical from Amazon (very cheap) as based on my testing with other much more expensive optical cables I think it is worth to try as I can hear a significant improvement over stock optical cables.

You may refer to USB or BNC cables though where I don’t have much advise to give I am afraid....

 

[adrianm]

I have lost track of the QED optical cable you are using but if it is the Reference optical quartz that should be among the best, if not why not try an often recommended Kabeldirekt optical from Amazon (very cheap) as based on my testing with other much more expensive optical cables I think it is worth to try as I can hear a significant improvement over stock optical cables.

You may refer to USB or BNC cables though where I don’t have much advise to give I am afraid....

Yeah that's the one, it's a huge improvement from my old 10$ sonorous.That one didn't fit at all in the m-scaler, though it did click into Dave, but i just realized after i got this one how bad it sounded. Even though it was comparable (better in some ways ) to usb. So not sure what to think yet.
Haven't had time to test it today vs a decent fitting cable (stock one, which is too short and i have to move stuff around) but i definitely will, out of curiosity.