CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[Jawed]

@Rob Watts would a TT2 shutdown thermally driving a 0.29 ohm load?

 

[jcn3]

@Rob Watts would a TT2 shutdown thermally driving a 0.29 ohm load?

a .29 ohm load is essentially a short. even the far, far majority of speaker amplifiers can't manage that kind of load. i can't imagine the tt2 being remotely happy in that situation.

 

[Godbluffer]

As I understand it, your headphones come supplied with a "convertor" that isolates the ultra-low impedance of the headphones from the amplifier. This means a "normal" amplifier can be used to drive your headphones, despite their impedance.

Potentially stupid question: can you connect DAVE directly instead of going via the Resolute?

I’ve tried connecting the DAVE straight to the converter, and the result is ‘ok’. The mids and highs sound fine, but the bass, even though present, clearly lacks authority and ‘oomph,’ so additional amplification is a must for anything but the most bass-light recordings, and even those benefit from the more solid bas(s)is that additional amplification provides.

 

[Reactcore]

Why don't you just build an amp? If I can do it I'm sure you can!

I remember having supplied you with a current drive stage design for Dave and your Raal.
But you werent interested.

 

[Jawed]

I’ve tried connecting the DAVE straight to the converter, and the result is ‘ok’. The mids and highs sound fine, but the bass, even though present, clearly lacks authority and ‘oomph,’ so additional amplification is a must for anything but the most bass-light recordings, and even those benefit from the more solid bas(s)is that additional amplification provides.

The reason I asked is that your description of the sound of the amplifier makes me think it's too compromised and potentially tilting your feelings about the sound of DAVE, whether with/without HF filter or with 1 million taps from Hugo M Scaler.

On the other hand, DAVE is like a magnifying glass for RF noise problems, which can then infect an amplifier. Making DAVE work well is hard, due to RF noise from the mains and from the digital music source. Hugo M Scaler can, in the worst scenarios, actually help DAVE by filtering some of the RF noise from a digital music source. This might be the reason why you like using Hugo M Scaler in bypass mode.

An interesting test for you to try, if you still have Hugo M Scaler: use a TOSLINK cable as output into DAVE. You'll not get the full upsampling effect, but you will get a lot of RF noise filtering from the output of your digital music source. Obviously you can also try it with bypass mode too.

 

[GuiltyRocker]

The reason I asked is that your description of the sound of the amplifier makes me think it's too compromised and potentially tilting your feelings about the sound of DAVE, whether with/without HF filter or with 1 million taps from Hugo M Scaler.

On the other hand, DAVE is like a magnifying glass for RF noise problems, which can then infect an amplifier. Making DAVE work well is hard, due to RF noise from the mains and from the digital music source. Hugo M Scaler can, in the worst scenarios, actually help DAVE by filtering some of the RF noise from a digital music source. This might be the reason why you like using Hugo M Scaler in bypass mode.

An interesting test for you to try, if you still have Hugo M Scaler: use a TOSLINK cable as output into DAVE. You'll not get the full upsampling effect, but you will get a lot of RF noise filtering from the output of your digital music source. Obviously you can also try it with bypass mode too.

Well this is interesting, the TT-2 doesn't require any work to make it sound great, right out of the box and even with the stock power supply it just sounds right.

 

[Jawed]

I remember getting DAVE home years and years ago (I waited 12 fairly agonising weeks for it to be built) and thinking the same...

 

[SteveHulk]

I remember having supplied you with a current drive stage design for Dave and your Raal.
But you werent interested.

That was because I had decided to rise to the challenge of building a tube amp

That choice was no reflection on the viability of your design.

 

[Rob Watts]

@Rob Watts would a TT2 shutdown thermally driving a 0.29 ohm load?

Of course it depends upon the voltage. But you can't use a 0.29 ohm load, you may damage TT2 if the protection does not catch it out in time. Any nominal load under 4 ohms is a no-no.

 

[Simpeler]

So I’m able to buy a dave for €6400, good deal?

Could you share your experience with IEM’s and Dave? How is it compared to for example the sp3000?

Primary use would be with the pmg apx se, and as a dac for a speaker amp (yet to be decided which)

 

[Godbluffer]

So I’m able to buy a dave for €6400, good deal?

Could you share your experience with IEM’s and Dave? How is it compared to for example the sp3000?

Primary use would be with the pmg apx se, and as a dac for a speaker amp (yet to be decided which)

I hope for you it isn’t the DAVE on HAA’s occasions’ page, because I recently got that one, and Stefan may not have updated that page yet… unless he has a second DAVE lying around, also without cables etc.

And @Jawed I’ll certainly look into the issues you brought up there. I do still have the M-Scaler, but unfortunately I don’t have a TOSLINK cable, so I cannot test that. And yeah bypass appears to be the only way to go for me. I just don’t like what upscaling does to the sound.

EDIT: Well, I just performed a simple experiment. The DAVE and the Resolute amplifier were indeed connected to the same power socket, so I connected the DAVE to another one, and BOOM, sounding pretty much exactly the same as previously with the M-Scaler in bypass mode. Seriously, thank you. I never would have thought of it!

 

[icnaiwhimor1975]

So I’m able to buy a dave for €6400, good deal?

I think it's up to you to decide

 

[ecwl]

And @Jawed I’ll certainly look into the issues you brought up there. I do still have the M-Scaler, but unfortunately I don’t have a TOSLINK cable, so I cannot test that. And yeah bypass appears to be the only way to go for me. I just don’t like what upscaling does to the sound.

Your DAVE and M-Scaler should each come with a free Toslink cable in the box I think. I’m pretty sure.

 

[Jawed]

EDIT: Well, I just performed a simple experiment. The DAVE and the Resolute amplifier were indeed connected to the same power socket, so I connected the DAVE to another one, and BOOM, sounding pretty much exactly the same as previously with the M-Scaler in bypass mode. Seriously, thank you. I never would have thought of it!

It seems you have demonstrated RF sensitivity, seemingly within the amplifier. So the rabbit hole of ferrites on all power cables is worth trying. See my signature for a link. In general, cover the entire length of the power cable for both DAVE and the Resolute. It's a super cheap and quick upgrade.

I have ferrites on the AC and DC cables for power into M Scaler, too.

 

[ZappaMan]

I've had a lovely day listening to MDave with my dusty HD800s and my old favorite Radiohead albums.

I'm feeling very thankful for the beautiful experience.