[Silvertone4]

Linn Selekt DSM with the Katalyst dac is great. It has a very light, transparent and airy presentation. A very satisfying listening session every time I use it. The nice thing about it is that it’s modular so it can be tailored to one’s specific usage, although the price can jump significantly. Naim makes some nice streamers in its classic line but for headphone listening I still prefer Linn because of its effortless sound signature. Naim is a bit darker but that may not be a bad thing with some speakers and music servers that tend to be on a brighter side.

 

[Silvertone4]

Hi Everyone

Question on DAVE Display Mode 4.

I’ve had this unit for several years, today after reshuffling some components around Display Mode 4 never goes into screen saving mode.
The screen blinks black every 30 seconds or so but it continues to display.

Has anyone ran into this or knows how to fix it?

Thanks in advance !

 

[VladYR]

Hi Everyone

Question on DAVE Display Mode 4.

I’ve had this unit for several years, today after reshuffling some components around Display Mode 4 never goes into screen saving mode.
The screen blinks black every 30 seconds or so but it continues to display.

Has anyone ran into this or knows how to fix it?

Thanks in advance !

Have you tried powering it off completely and leaving it like that for let’s say an hour? A lot of common problems can be resolved by unplugging and draining the device of electricity. Additionally, I would try cycling through the display modes and resettling on 4. Hope this helps.

 

[adrianm]

Clarity and cohesiveness

This is exactly why i preferred the Utopia to the technically superior He1000se.

Naim makes some nice streamers in its classic line

Haven't had much experience with them, but , i went with a friend to listen to some KEF R7 a Unity Atom. I suggested he try a Qutest + Node2i +Naim amp for them over the Atom, and it was ridiculous how much better the combo was for the same price. He left with the speakers and combo.

I had a pair of Z1R until moving on to the Dave

Did you get a chance to hear them with Dave? I've used them with everything from a Fiio E10k, Mojo, Ta-Zh1es and Dave. They just scale incredibly well. Also, i think the stock cable is terrible, same with the Sony Kimber.
A pure silver cable really opens them up. 2 year ago me would hate me for saying this. I've tried going back to them while i send the silver one out for repair and let's just say it's been almost a year and i still haven't sent it.

The thing is, to arrive at that point, I spent a fair amount on Nordost power cords and Ansuz power conditioning

Huge power conditioning advocate, though a lot of people think it's snake oil. Which is ironic since i started out thinking everything is. I came around on most stuff (Still on the fence on some aspects of streamers and some cables).
I'm using an Isotek Sirius with Premier power chord. Decently priced and they make a world of difference. I've tried a 5k Crystal Connect power cable for a weekend just to see the delta and i didn't like it to be honest. The difference was so small and it just sounded...thinner and a bit harsher with the same mains filter.
I was thinking auditioning some of the higher end Isotek stuff since i'm already sold on them, but i', waiting until we move in the new place.

I'm also considering getting a separate circuit for Dave, since it shouldn't be that hard to do in a new place, but i'm not sure what exactly the benefits would be or how exactly it should be done. Or if it even matters for headphone listening.

 

[VladYR]

This is exactly why i preferred the Utopia to the technically superior He1000se.

Haven't had much experience with them, but , i went with a friend to listen to some KEF R7 a Unity Atom. I suggested he try a Qutest + Node2i +Naim amp for them over the Atom, and it was ridiculous how much better the combo was for the same price. He left with the speakers and combo.

Did you get a chance to hear them with Dave? I've used them with everything from a Fiio E10k, Mojo, Ta-Zh1es and Dave. They just scale incredibly well. Also, i think the stock cable is terrible, same with the Sony Kimber.
A pure silver cable really opens them up. 2 year ago me would hate me for saying this. I've tried going back to them while i send the silver one out for repair and let's just say it's been almost a year and i still haven't sent it.

Huge power conditioning advocate, though a lot of people think it's snake oil. Which is ironic since i started out thinking everything is. I came around on most stuff (Still on the fence on some aspects of streamers and some cables).
I'm using an Isotek Sirius with Premier power chord. Decently priced and they make a world of difference. I've tried a 5k Crystal Connect power cable for a weekend just to see the delta and i didn't like it to be honest. The difference was so small and it just sounded...thinner and a bit harsher with the same mains filter.
I was thinking auditioning some of the higher end Isotek stuff since i'm already sold on them, but i', waiting until we move in the new place.

I'm also considering getting a separate circuit for Dave, since it shouldn't be that hard to do in a new place, but i'm not sure what exactly the benefits would be or how exactly it should be done. Or if it even matters for headphone listening.

I tried the Z1R with the Dave for a few hours and wasn’t thrilled. It sounded a bit fatiguing and closed in. This wasn’t a problem on TA-ZH1ES with the same cables. The stock cable could be better. I had a Nordost Heimdall 2 cable for them, which sounded great with the Sony amp. Strangely, Sony MDR-Z7 sounds better with the stock cable than the Z1R with the upgraded cable. I suspect it’s tied to the difference in the level of isolation. Z7 has less of it.

In a few days I’m going to demo a power switch from Ansuz. According to a few reviews it seems to make quite a bit of difference with streaming based systems. Next week I’m picking up a few servers to test out with the Linn to see which one pairs better and offers a better sound signature. This hobby is hell on one’s bank account

 

[adrianm]

This wasn’t a problem on TA-ZH1ES with the same cables

It's funny, i was a happy camper when i got the TA for my Z1R. Thought i had found my endgame. Dynamics were great, but for resolving ability i still much preferred the Mojo. One day i took it for a comparison with the TT2, and i was really happy with the TA holding it's own. Adding the M-scaler made it pull ahead though. Figured i'd give Dave a try, how much better could it be? 10 seconds in i decided i was returning the TA and saving up until i can afford Dave. The difference was so stark i didn't even bother adding the M-scaler , completely forgot.

This hobby is hell on one’s bank account

True, i have so little time these days to test everything out and compare that i'm probably sticking with what i have until that rumored Dave headphone amp finally comes out at least. A one box solution is attractive. I'm still not ruling out eventually switching to a Bartok , even though i genuinely believe Dave M-scaler is better from feedback i got from people. But adding another headphone amp, a streamer, keeping the M-scaler on a battery. It's just so many boxes and so much faffing around.

 

[VladYR]

It's funny, i was a happy camper when i got the TA for my Z1R. Thought i had found my endgame. Dynamics were great, but for resolving ability i still much preferred the Mojo. One day i took it for a comparison with the TT2, and i was really happy with the TA holding it's own. Adding the M-scaler made it pull ahead though. Figured i'd give Dave a try, how much better could it be? 10 seconds in i decided i was returning the TA and saving up until i can afford Dave. The difference was so stark i didn't even bother adding the M-scaler , completely forgot.

True, i have so little time these days to test everything out and compare that i'm probably sticking with what i have until that rumored Dave headphone amp finally comes out at least. A one box solution is attractive. I'm still not ruling out eventually switching to a Bartok , even though i genuinely believe Dave M-scaler is better from feedback i got from people. But adding another headphone amp, a streamer, keeping the M-scaler on a battery. It's just so many boxes and so much faffing around.

It took about 1-2 hours for me to appreciate the Dave for what it is. I gave the M Scaler a try about a month after buying the Dave. The difference that it made was too big to put off buying much longer.

In all honesty, skip the Bartok. Give it a try if you must but in my personal experience it was really disappointing. In some ways a one box design can be attractive but I’ll take my three (Linn, Dave, M Scaler) any day over Bartok. Dave alone sounds way better even with a stock power cable straight out of the wall outlet. M Scaler changes the sound so much that the race is over before it even began. Linn just makes everything better in this setup. Granted all three cost more and take up slightly more space but the end result is worth it.

 

[Slim1970]

It took about 1-2 hours for me to appreciate the Dave for what it is. I gave the M Scaler a try about a month after buying the Dave. The difference that it made was too big to put off buying much longer.

In all honesty, skip the Bartok. Give it a try if you must but in my personal experience it was really disappointing. In some ways a one box design can be attractive but I’ll take my three (Linn, Dave, M Scaler) any day over Bartok. Dave alone sounds way better even with a stock power cable straight out of the wall outlet. M Scaler changes the sound so much that the race is over before it even began. Linn just makes everything better in this setup. Granted all three cost more and take up slightly more space but the end result is worth it.

Are you feeding the Linn directly into the Dave or through the M-Scaler?

 

[VladYR]

Are you feeding the Linn directly into the Dave or through the M-Scaler?

I’m feeding the Linn into the M Scaler although Dave and Linn on their own sound quite satisfying also.

 

[Slim1970]

I’m feeding the Linn into the M Scaler although Dave and Linn on their own sound quite satisfying also.

Nice, I was reading up on the Linn and it looks like it can function on its own.

 

[VladYR]

Nice, I was reading up on the Linn and it looks like it can function on its own.

It’s a great streamer but I have a sizable offline collection, which I generally prefer to streaming online content. While Qobuz is a great sounding service, it has gaps. I avoid Tidal for many reasons. I’m looking to add a file server some time this fall. Innuos is very promising. Naim Uniti Core seems like a very nice alternative with a footprint smaller than the M Scaler.

 

[Slim1970]

I have no clue which way I want to go to further improve the sound coming from the Dave. I’ve never considered a streamer or something like the Innuos until now.

 

[VladYR]

I have no clue which way I want to go to further improve the sound coming from the Dave. I’ve never considered a streamer or something like the Innuos until now.

It’s worth exploring both directions. Some streamers, Naim in particular, have a built in server functionality so additional servers might not make sense for the most part. Linn, with the exception of the new Klimax, lack it and thus need something else unless you are 100% into streaming. Innuos has a really nice interface and its usb output sounded great when I paired it with a Sony amp. I’m really eager to hear it again with my new gear. I’ll post some impressions next week.

 

[DJJEZ]

I have no clue which way I want to go to further improve the sound coming from the Dave. I’ve never considered a streamer or something like the Innuos until now.

Innuos zenith mk 3 and phoenix usb reclocker would be the way

 

[jlbrach]

Innuos zenith mk 3 and phoenix usb reclocker would be the way

I second that....I have been thrilled at the improvement the innuos combo gave me