So is RCA the more transparent option vs XLR out of the Dave? Going to connect to the Ferrum Oor. I think I saw that Rob mentions RCA but not sure why. @adrianm likes the RCA with Ferrum Oor fyi.
Internally all Chord Dacs are single ended by architecture .
The tabletop versions, as a feature, do have balanced output, but it is a buffered output derived from single ended (RCA).
It is there to combat possible ground noise, or should there be a need to use a poweramp that takes balanced only.
Like my tube amps!
So is RCA the more transparent option vs XLR out of the Dave? Going to connect to the Ferrum Oor. I think I saw that Rob mentions RCA but not sure why. @adrianm likes the RCA with Ferrum Oor fyi.
This was also measured by ASR/Goldensound. The reason why it's less transparent is because it's not a true balanced architecture, so there's an additional conversion step involved.
"The Dave gets very very close in sound to the Lina but the Dave leans a bit leaner and sharper where the DCS Lina is fuller, thicker, smoother with more density yet it never moves anywhere near dull or soft territory. The DCS has that density and drive and fullness that no other DAC I have auditioned has."
That's what id aim for when upgrading the dac, lookout for "fuller, thicker, smoother with more density" because that's what high end analogue sounds like to me and its never fat or mushy is still fast and effortless, there's so much you miss in Digital playback. I don't know if its ringing from filters and or brick wall filters but I doesn't sound natural in comparison when im listening to CDs.
"The Dave gets very very close in sound to the Lina but the Dave leans a bit leaner and sharper where the DCS Lina is fuller, thicker, smoother with more density yet it never moves anywhere near dull or soft territory. The DCS has that density and drive and fullness that no other DAC I have auditioned has."
That's what id aim for when upgrading the dac, lookout for "fuller, thicker, smoother with more density" because that's what high end analogue sounds like to me and its never fat or mushy is still fast and effortless, there's so much you miss in Digital playback. I don't know if its ringing from filters and or brick wall filters but I doesn't sound natural in comparison when im listening to CDs.
The Dave I am listening to with its Sean Jacobs power supply is “fuller, thicker, smoother with more density yet it never moves anywhere near dull or soft territory”.
I don’t doubt the Lina attractions but I have no inclination to go there (because I am already there).
The Dave I am listening to with its Sean Jacobs power supply is “fuller, thicker, smoother with more density yet it never moves anywhere near dull or soft territory”.
I don’t doubt the Lina attractions but I have no inclination to go there (because I am already there).
If you're 100% happy with that sound then absolutely no need to ever bother with another DAC.
When im trying out a DAC I will compare it with my turntable and the closer the better, vinyl has a liquid sound with sustain and decay that CDs and streaming don't produce very well. There's no doubt its technical performance is inferior by a mile compared to Chord, Mola Mola, DCs etc but it sounds incredibly realistic and enjoyable, that's why I use it for as my reference when testing out a new DAC, whichever is closer wins.
Stereophile editor in chief JA discussing ASR in current issue, via the great engineer Bruno Putzey (pay attention to his quote at the end; it is perfect):
Purifi's people are serious engineers, but don't make the mistake of thinking they mindlessly ally themselves with the simple-minded objectivists who populate certain online discussion forums. They understand that science and engineering must be carefully deployed. Members of the Purifi team seemed to me as impatient with measurements-happy reductionists as with the radical antimeasurements crowd. Sure, it's depressing when a forum post asks, "Is it possible for a component that measures well to sound good?" But owning an Audio Precision analyzer doesn't make you an expert, and the unguided application of analytical tools can lead you far astray.
Knowing what to measure is critical, and getting to that point is hard work. As is written in a Purifi blog post—it's unsigned, but the voice and some biographical details sound like Putzeys's—"We don't so much hear distortion levels as distortion mechanisms. You need to understand the mechanism before you can design a test that will quantify it sensibly."
And this comment below the article on the site is perfect also:
What I am getting out of this is that I should go out and buy an AP analyzer (and maybe a Klippel NFS?) and then proceed to measure a bunch of stuff, make a forum, provide 1/4 screen grabs of the AP's screen for "THUH DATA", criticize the inventors and makers of any products that "fail my standards", harass/mock/ban anyone who disagrees, Monday-morning-quarterback established product engineers and designers in the industry as often as possible (ESPECIALLY when they cost more than ChiFi), and then devise some type of iconography with which I could associate my rating system. Mayhaps a Panther???.....
But I see the posters on chord threads both respect and disagree with Rob on linear power. So I don’t think he is a god figure in that unhealthy sense.
A common tactic by people pushing a narrative is to attack the character of people who don't agree with them. If you observe what they say, you'll see that they are talking about themselves and what they are doing.
Eg: "You're worshipping Rob Watts." Who are they worshipping? It's pretty clear. "You're trying to justify equipment purchases." That's clearly what they are doing with the measure-bating!
If someone's first post is an ad hominem, then just ignore it -- actually, report it as trolling.
I will find this out soon enough but thought I would ask the gang. When using DAC mode on Dave does it stay cooler than using headphone out? I would assume so. Does it still warm up in DAC mode?
I will find this out soon enough but thought I would ask the gang. When using DAC mode on Dave does it stay cooler than using headphone out? I would assume so. Does it still warm up in DAC mode?
What's the point of MQA?
is it a form of compression to allow hi-res material to take up same space as standard?
Is it the ability to decode either hi-res or standard from same file?
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