CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[sm60]

In Bay Area with big enough space for 40.1? Well done!

I am guessing a nice pair of Pass Labs monoblocks (or similar quality amp) is in the works?

I live in Morgan Hill, a lovely wine country with gentle rolling hills like the English countryside 15 miles south of San Jose, right off of US 101. Lucky enough to own a 3500 sq ft house, bought before the current housing boom. My house has now escalated in value by a huge amount, thanks to the pandemic making remote work a reality. Have been working from home for the past two years! Nice not to have to fight the Bay Area traffic.

If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend Guglielmo winery, a mile from my house. Their red wines are anazing (Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel). Perfect for listening to the Dave after a long day’s work. Something about red wine that makes music more enjoyable. Attached picture showing Castillo winery, about 2 miles from my house. Lovely area to jog in. I run 5 miles very morning past wineries, horse farms etc .

 

[Hifi Boy]

I live in Morgan Hill, a lovely wine country with gentle rolling hills like the English countryside 15 miles south of San Jose, right off of US 101. Lucky enough to own a 3500 sq ft house, bought before the current housing boom. My house has now escalated in value by a huge amount, thanks to the pandemic making remote work a reality. Have been working from home for the past two years! Nice not to have to fight the Bay Area traffic.

If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend Guglielmo winery, a mile from my house. Their red wines are anazing (Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel). Perfect for listening to the Dave after a long day’s work. Something about red wine that makes music more enjoyable. Attached picture showing Castillo winery, about 2 miles from my house. Lovely area to jog in. I run 5 miles very morning past wineries, horse farms etc .

Absolutely incredible property, thanks for posting this.

Imagine the listening room(s) you could set up in there!

 

[Sampajanna]

Just to amplify this point, I’m listening right now to a legendary live jazz recording — Gerry Mulligan Live at the Village Vanguard — on a pair of Harbeth Monitor 40.1s, with the source being CD on the Blu Mk2 and the Dave. The Harbeth’s are also a studio monitor made expressly for the BBC. They could not sound more different from the B&W 800s and are designed using entirely different principles. The large B&Ws have a highly rigid cabinet with a separate marble like Marlan head housing the midrange and tweeter. The Harbeth uses a highly lossy resonant wooden chassis intended to partially absorb the sound, and the resonances are designed to be at frequencies that are not particularly noticeable. The Harbeth sounds like the B&W with the tweeter removed, a far warmer sound. Which is right? Neither and both. There’s no right snd no wrong here. Different design choices and principles. Vastly different sound signatures.

I’m driving the Harbeth with flea market $200 Crown pro amplifiers, which produce 200 watts a channel and weigh 10 pounds. I picked them up Guitar Etc., a pro music chain store 5 years back as I needed amplifiers with Speakon connectors. The Harbeth’s sound fine with such flea market amplifiers. The large B&W 800s would sound dreadful on the el cheapo Crown’s.

I love Harbeth. The Ls53a are also great. I really enjoy Harbeth speakers—in every setting I have heard them.

 

[Malcyg]

Surely, this is not a real thing??

https://hifi-opinions.com/en/audiophilia-nervosa-2/

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

Currently I have Hugo TT2 next to Dave to compare.
Oh boy, I don't know what sorcery is in the Dave but what this thing can extract from the music cannot be described.

Unfortunately I'm in a "tough" situation in my life (a lot of expenses that are very important) and I might end selling Dave - as I'm going to need $
Decision is not made yet. I'll decide in the next 2-3 days. I can say one it's going to be hard

 

[Triode User]

Currently I have Hugo TT2 next to Dave to compare.
Oh boy, I don't know what sorcery is in the Dave but what this thing can extract from the music cannot be described.

Unfortunately I'm in a "tough" situation in my life (a lot of expenses that are very important) and I might end selling Dave - as I'm going to need $
Decision is not made yet. I'll decide in the next 2-3 days. I can say one it's going to be hard

Oh, I do feel for you. The worst thing is having heard the difference. For me comparing side by side with the TT2 it was the Dave transparency that was miles ahead of the TT2.

But at the end of the day they are just boxes and sometimes real life expenses are more important.

 

[ObjectiveSubjectivist]

TT2 it was the Dave transparency that was miles ahead of the TT2.

Its scary to say but TT2 feels muddy and congested in comparison.
Also Dave bass definition is on a whole new level. TT2 is focused on mid bass never reaches as deep and tight as Dave goes into very very low sub bass (20hz or so)

Anyway as you said these are only boxes. I'll be back

 

[adrianm]

Its scary to say but TT2 feels muddy and congested in comparison.

As does stock Dave vs M-scaler, and that vs Hqplayer (just got the SRC-DX and holy crap this thing is awesome). And THAT vs Dave + HPA4.
I hate Dave for many upgrades can be done, and love it for how well it scales.

 

[Triode User]

Its scary to say but TT2 feels muddy and congested in comparison.
Also Dave bass definition is on a whole new level. TT2 is focused on mid bass never reaches as deep and tight as Dave goes into very very low sub bass (20hz or so)

Anyway as you said these are only boxes. I'll be back

I wasn’t going to make your pain worse so I avoided mentioning the muddy and congested comparison to Dave!

I often quote “Comparison is the thief of joy” but it is very true and ‘putting up’ with the TT2 is hardly a hardship in the great scheme of things.

 

[zen87192]

DAVE (DAC Mode) through a Singxer SA-1 Headphone Amp playing out to Audeze LCD-5 Headphones is absolutely brilliant! The SA-1 scores highly in tests and this shows in how it sounds. It doesn't hide anything and adds nothing to the sound signature. It produces sounds that are sublime. I can't imagine what a more expensive Headphone Amp could do but hope to sample an HeadAmp HPA-4 and Ferrum oor with HYPSOS if I can soon to see what differences there are. I'm even playing from a Fiio M17 DAP source through the DAVE but have purchased a Silent Angel M1T Streamer with F1 LPS which is en route to me now. This may.... or may not.... be even better through the DAVE than the Fiio M17 DAP. We shall see. I will try direct USB into the DAVE and then via USB in to an SRC-DX then in to BNC in to the DAVE. Exciting times ahead.

 

[JTbbb]

DAVE (DAC Mode) through a Singxer SA-1 Headphone Amp playing out to Audeze LCD-5 Headphones is absolutely brilliant! The SA-1 scores highly in tests and this shows in how it sounds. It doesn't hide anything and adds nothing to the sound signature. It produces sounds that are sublime. I can't imagine what a more expensive Headphone Amp could do but hope to sample an HeadAmp HPA-4 and Ferrum oor with HYPSOS if I can soon to see what differences there are. I'm even playing from a Fiio M17 DAP source through the DAVE but have purchased a Silent Angel M1T Streamer with F1 LPS which is en route to me now. This may.... or may not.... be even better through the DAVE than the Fiio M17 DAP. We shall see. I will try direct USB into the DAVE and then via USB in to an SRC-DX then in to BNC in to the DAVE. Exciting times ahead.

I am certain that Rob Watts has stated in these pages that in DAC or DIGITAL-PRE mode, the signal goes through the exact same circuitry.

 

[saudio7]

I am certain that Rob Watts has stated in these pages that in DAC or DIGITAL-PRE mode, the signal goes through the exact same circuitry.

And that is just software setting of fix volume -3dB, instead of regulated one -3dB, which are the same.

 

[zen87192]

I am certain that Rob Watts has stated in these pages that in DAC or DIGITAL-PRE mode, the signal goes through the exact same circuitry.

Just wanted to experiment with different types of connections to the DAVE.

 

[adrianm]

And that is just software setting of fix volume -3dB, instead of regulated one -3dB, which are the same.

Dac mode sounded better to me, and other people, everywhere i tested it, including now. Is there any link to this post?
Edit : nvm found some posts.

 

[zen87192]

Dac mode sounded better to me, and other people, everywhere i tested it, including now. Is there any link to this post?
Edit : nvm found some posts.

DAC Mode sounded pure. Brilliant. PRE Mode sounded slightly harsh.