[GuiltyRocker]

In fairness to them, the MU1/MU2 sound much better than their design would suggest.
Just look at the guts of the boxes, it is quite embarrassing for products in this price range.

Well that is true, it is basically a freaking Intel NUC

 

[miketlse]

In fairness to them, the MU1/MU2 sound much better than their design would suggest.
Just look at the guts of the boxes, it is quite embarrassing for products in this price range.

A fine example of damning with faint praise

 

[Malcyg]

$10k for the Choral m-scaler, and like $20k to $100k for the Ultima dac (it's still up in the air, from what I've read)

Don’t go putting thoughts like into their heads for goodness sake!

 

[miketlse]

Don’t go putting thoughts like into their heads for goodness sake!

I think I have read a post by Rob saying much the same (within the limits of what Chord will allow him to say) about prices, so the thoughts are already in Chords mind.

 

[Malcyg]

I think I have read a post by Rob saying much the same (within the limits of what Chord will allow him to say) about prices, so the thoughts are already in Chords mind.

I never tell anyone what my system cost, especially my wife, but pricing is getting a bit silly in certain quarters. I read an article about a Wadax setup which was $400,000 for a digital front end. I’d love to hear it though just to hear what that kind of money gets you and whether it is close to being worth it.

Wadax Atlantis Reference DAC ($166,420), Wadax Atlantis Reference Server ($68,800), Wadax Atlantis Reference Transport $115,000), and Wadax Atlantis Reference PSU ($52,700)

 

[stemiki]

From the Hugo 2 thread:

ROB WATTS
Member of the Trade: Chord Electronics
Ultima DAC is a reference full sized high end DAC and will be priced at several times more than Dave. It's a project I have been working on for the past 4 years.


You can always resell the house if it costs too much..

 

[miketlse]

@Malcyg there is no one 'close to being worth it' price that suits everyone!

• For some value-conscious individuals, the price should be as low as possible
• For some status-conscious individuals, the price should be as high as possible, to ensure exclusivity because the general public cannot afford the gear
• Everyone else is somewhere in the middle

 

[Malcyg]

@Malcyg there is no one 'close to being worth it' price that suits everyone!

• For some value-conscious individuals, the price should be as low as possible
• For some status-conscious individuals, the price should be as high as possible, to ensure exclusivity because the general public cannot afford the gear
• Everyone else is somewhere in the middle

Very true, though I tend to think that those in the 2nd category are fools to themselves with an unfortunate knock on effect to the rest of us.

Does anyone remember thinking that Dave was quite expensive when it first came out? I recall that a lot of people thought so, though I had the Chord DSX-1000 and the difference in retail price between the two was only £500, so Dave seemed a bit of a bargain.

 

[Reactcore]

From the Hugo 2 thread:

ROB WATTS
Member of the Trade: Chord Electronics
Ultima DAC is a reference full sized high end DAC and will be priced at several times more than Dave. It's a project I have been working on for the past 4 years.


You can always resell the house if it costs too much..

How many elements will its pulse array be getting, and which order of noiseshaping hm?

Perhaps itll be a power Amp together

No my Dave and scaler combo is priceless for me with my own addons and tweaks.. its mindblowingly impressive

 

[johnnym]

As a new Dave owner and with 1689 pages on the mobile interface to this thread are there a core few 100s of pages to read? First 100 were anticipating release and the last 100 are all about Ultima DAC and Chord haters. Anything worth reading through or am I too late to do anything other than read the lot?

 

[miketlse]

As a new Dave owner and with 1689 pages on the mobile interface to this thread are there a core few 100s of pages to read? First 100 were anticipating release and the last 100 are all about Ultima DAC and Chord haters. Anything worth reading through or am I too late to do anything other than read the lot?

There is a lot that is interesting, but it covers many topics including Blu2, Wave cables, power supplies, RFI, mscalers, ASR........., so you could use the search functionality to focus on topics that interest you the most.

 

[Reactcore]

As a new Dave owner and with 1689 pages on the mobile interface to this thread are there a core few 100s of pages to read? First 100 were anticipating release and the last 100 are all about Ultima DAC and Chord haters. Anything worth reading through or am I too late to do anything other than read the lot?

Yeap Dave is bespoken inside out and back here welcome to the club!!
Happy listening

 

[ecwl]

As a new Dave owner and with 1689 pages on the mobile interface to this thread are there a core few 100s of pages to read? First 100 were anticipating release and the last 100 are all about Ultima DAC and Chord haters. Anything worth reading through or am I too late to do anything other than read the lot?

Haha. Sure.

Best source for Dave is Toslink or battery powered laptop/tablet via USB. The laptop should not be charging. Otherwise RF noise can go from your source mains power supply through USB into Dave and changing the sound slightly.

Optimal sound for 44.1kHz is to have the HF filter turned off. Anything 48kHz or above the HF filter should be turned on.

Crossfeed settings are weird in that you can only see it when you have the headphones plugged in but it stays on when you unplug your headphones and are using RCA or XLR out so you need to check this setting once in a while unless you never change it.

+4dB volume is maximum without clipping. DAC mode is 3V RCA and equivalent to volume set at -3dB. If your amp/preamp clips at 2V or 1V, -7dB is 2V and -13dB is 1V.

Optimal sound for DSD tracks is in DSD+ mode and optimal sound for PCM tracks is in PCM+ mode

I think that’s the most important things.
Rules are different if you have M-Scaler.

 

[Icenine2]

Just bought the DSD Stravinsky conducts Rite of Spring It is quite spectacular for anyone interested in this composition. Super clean and dynamic.

 

[johnnym]

Haha. Sure.

Best source for Dave is Toslink or battery powered laptop/tablet via USB. The laptop should not be charging. Otherwise RF noise can go from your source mains power supply through USB into Dave and changing the sound slightly.

Optimal sound for 44.1kHz is to have the HF filter turned off. Anything 48kHz or above the HF filter should be turned on.

Crossfeed settings are weird in that you can only see it when you have the headphones plugged in but it stays on when you unplug your headphones and are using RCA or XLR out so you need to check this setting once in a while unless you never change it.

+4dB volume is maximum without clipping. DAC mode is 3V RCA and equivalent to volume set at -3dB. If your amp/preamp clips at 2V or 1V, -7dB is 2V and -13dB is 1V.

Optimal sound for DSD tracks is in DSD+ mode and optimal sound for PCM tracks is in PCM+ mode

I think that’s the most important things.
Rules are different if you have M-Scaler.

Thanks so much. I ought to check if the previous owner had cross feed on or not. I assume it was off if not using headphones. Now I know how to turn it on for use with my headphone amp in DAC mode.