[Backsplash7]

Hd700 is unlistenable without EQ.
It's so freaking hot in the treble... Maybe when you are 70 and your high frequency is rolled off to like 10k, then maybe you will be ok.

I have to respectfully disagree with you. It certainly can sound very bad, indeed I've heard it myself with my own pair, sharp, out of focus, lacking in some areas, but as it turned out in my case, it was because they were revealing problems with my setup. I suspect that they are much more transparent to the chain than they are given credit for. Intuitively it seemed as though they must have problems, as I didn't have any such issues with my other headphones when I was using the entry gear that got me started, but when I got the sennheiser amp I could hear some of the issues with other pairs as well, but only the 700's were able to resolve all the other things. I have read a few accounts from people who had owned both the 700 and 800, and found the 700 to be the more "amp picky", and I would hazard a guess its that resolution of hardware limitations that I experienced. On my first listen with that amp they sounded horrible. Now, using the same amp, and even the same dac, they sound sublime. They make you work for it, but the potential is fascinating. And for context my high frequency is pretty good, I still suffer from the mosquito tone in certain shops

 

[alxw0w]

I have to respectfully disagree with you. It certainly can sound very bad, indeed I've heard it myself with my own pair, sharp, out of focus, lacking in some areas, but as it turned out in my case, it was because they were revealing problems with my setup. I suspect that they are much more transparent to the chain than they are given credit for. Intuitively it seemed as though they must have problems, as I didn't have any such issues with my other headphones when I was using the entry gear that got me started, but when I got the sennheiser amp I could hear some of the issues with other pairs as well, but only the 700's were able to resolve all the other things. I have read a few accounts from people who had owned both the 700 and 800, and found the 700 to be the more "amp picky", and I would hazard a guess its that resolution of hardware limitations that I experienced. On my first listen with that amp they sounded horrible. Now, using the same amp, and even the same dac, they sound sublime. They make you work for it, but the potential is fascinating. And for context my high frequency is pretty good, I still suffer from the mosquito tone in certain shops

No. They are very bad tuned. No ho amp dac or anything else cannot save them (except EQ)
Check you hearing as you might suffer some serious damage.

 

[sm60]

Hd700 is unlistenable without EQ.
It's so freaking hot in the treble... Maybe when you are 70 and your high frequency is rolled off to like 10k, then maybe you will be ok.

In this case, the Dave is the problem, not the headphones. I have the Sennheisser 800S. On my Sony TA-ZH1ES (an infinitely better headphone amplifier than the Dave), the 800S sounds very good with minimal if any brightness. It sounds in fact liquid in the midrange. The Sony weighs probably twice as much as the Dave with a far more elaborate power supply than the Dave’s el cheapo after market surplus switching power supply. All that said, I can’t believe anyone who really cares about headphone listening would use something as badly designed as the Dave (note I find my Blu2/Dave perfectly fine when used with a good — preferably tubed — preamplifier). The Dave’s headphone section reminds me of the el cheapo headphone sections in Sony ES CD players from the 1980s. Thrown in there as a freebie, but not to be taken seriously (just like you never should use the phono section in a home theater receiver, if you want to hear vinyl at its best).

Ultimately, if you want to hear headphones at their best, I would go with a Woo Audio tubed unit or Cavalli Liquid or even the Sony TA-ZH1Es. Use a headphone amplifier that is made for the purpose, not one jury rigged as a freebie. None of this is intended to reflect negatively on the DAC section of the Dave, which is great or the Blu2/M-scaler, which I use regularly to hear CDs. I just don’t think Chord were serious in their design of the Dave as a headphone amplifier. If you really want state of the art, look elsewhere, and there are plenty of other choices.

 

[Jawed]

Maybe a slightly strange question, but has anybody tried outputting a dave into a sennheiser amp? I already have an HDVA 600, and am wondering whether acquiring a dave would make it redundant, or whether they might work better as a pair

I don't know anything about HDVA 600.

I am under the impression that HDVD 800 was tuned with a deliberately high output impedance, specifically to create a stronger bass sound with HD 800 (S). So it can be argued that Sennheiser doesn't consider HD 800 (S) "neutral" without the tuned bass sound.

The DAC/Amp of the HDVD 800 is utter junk compared to an original Chord Hugo... So bad that you can hear its inferiority playing through HD 800 S on the head of someone else from 10 or more feet away.

 

[iDesign]

Hopefully this clears things up for Backsplash7, we have unanimous opinions that the HD 700, HDVD 800, and headphone output of the DAVE are all bad. Glad we could help.

 

[number1sixerfan]

Ultimately, if you want to hear headphones at their best, I would go with a Woo Audio tubed unit or Cavalli Liquid or even the Sony TA-ZH1Es. Use a headphone amplifier that is made for the purpose, not one jury rigged as a freebie. None of this is intended to reflect negatively on the DAC section of the Dave, which is great or the Blu2/M-scaler, which I use regularly to hear CDs. I just don’t think Chord were serious in their design of the Dave as a headphone amplifier. If you really want state of the art, look elsewhere, and there are plenty of other choices.

Couldn't agree more, and it's literally the exact same case with every other high end DAC with a headphone output. The DAVE is no different and it's not a slight against it at all. I do think it's solid enough for easy to drive headphones if for any reason you rather not spend the funds or don't have anything on hand, but at stock, there are even very noticeable improvements for cans that aren't hard to drive. Now it's totally a personal decision on whether that's worth adding an amp, in which I get deciding not to. Your best bet is to just try and experiment and let your ears decide.

Now for the HD800 (S and non-S), which I've owned like 4 times, imho you will be far better off with an amp lol

 

[Backsplash7]

I don't know anything about HDVA 600.

I am under the impression that HDVD 800 was tuned with a deliberately high output impedance, specifically to create a stronger bass sound with HD 800 (S). So it can be argued that Sennheiser doesn't consider HD 800 (S) "neutral" without the tuned bass sound.

The DAC/Amp of the HDVD 800 is utter junk compared to an original Chord Hugo... So bad that you can hear its inferiority playing through HD 800 S on the head of someone else from 10 or more feet away.

The HDVA 600 is essentially an HDVD 800 without a dac. I knew I wanted a standalone dac later, so it made more sense to go with this version of the amp

 

[Backsplash7]

You are in the same place that many of us long-term head-fi posters were in say 2017.
in good faith we can only recommend dacs to demo, because there is no absolute this dac is right/this dac is wrong recommendation.

My experience wit Mojo/Hugo2 is that direct driving speakers from the dac is better than using an amplifier.
I fully expect that i would find the TT2 or DAVE would similarly direct drive speakers.
However there are some headphones (eg Susvara) that have generated hundreds of posts, because they are difficult to drive, and some owners find the DAVE ideal to drive the Susvara, but others feel the need to add an amplifier into the chain.

So posters cannot give an absolute this is right/this is wrong recommendation when you could be spending thousands of pounds.
Canjam Londan is in a few weeks, and you would be well advised to use Canjam to demo as much kit as possible, before spending your hard earned money.

Ah, only six years too late the party then! But yes, a demo probably would be a good idea. I've heard of canjam but never been to any such event, I'll have to look into it more

 

[Reactcore]

Ah, only six years too late the party then! But yes, a demo probably would be a good idea.

Dispite of others burning it.. i find Dave's amp direct to give the best transparency and depth as its the shortest signal path possible. And i loved my HD800 SD out of it.

But it does lack authority drive and oomph.. Grip on the headphone's drivers compared to combined with the better amps out there.

Its why i modified my Dave's amp internally to give it just that. See link in my signature.

I think you should also try the TT2 direct as this newer design is better implemented. You might even can add the Mscaler to it.

 

[Rob Watts]

Hello Rob .
Will you also upload your ADC project native files test recording/s here as you so kindly did with you first Blumlein recordings a while back?
That would be very appreciated by me and I hope I can reasonably safely say "many others too" without getting too "severly spanked" this time around. Cheers CC

Absolutely I will, assuming I get the ADC to work! Some of the tracks I have in mind won't be musical, but will be test tracks of repeatable sounds played at different depths for example. This is to test out depth from the mic/ADC/DAC/HP or speaker chain. Other tracks will be about testing speed and impact using wood blocks and similar percussion instruments.

But the local amateur orchestra in a church we will continue to record, but remember these are very much amateurs playing for fun, with minimal practice! I am hoping to be able to record better musical events, but will have to wait and see what transpires.

 

[Reactcore]

will be test tracks of repeatable sounds played at different depths for example.

Perhaps then also do a binaural setup recording, with two mikes at typical ears distance apart.

That would be highly interesting to hear

 

[jlbrach]

with easy to drive HP's I dont think you can beat the dave direct...with harder to drive HP's....abyss,suvara one absolutely needs an amp

 

[Ciggavelli]

I have an upgraded SJ power supply. I can now drive my TCs and Sus adequately straight out of the DAVE. It sounds good, detailed and spacious. I prefer my cans out of my WA33 though because it does all those things as well, but better. Straight out of the DAVE gives more detail, perhaps a bit more bass actually, but it sound a little sterile.

 

[GoldenSound]

For those interested in a little bit of a look at Chord's backstory, DMS, Andrew, Taron and I visited Chord in Maidstone shortly before heading to Munich this year and a video is up with some interviews and a bit of a look inside their factory.
Their location has easily got to be the most characterful production location I've visited. Thanks to Chord for inviting us!

 

[Reactcore]

They use alot Mojo1's still, perhaps to test new Poly's