CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[chelseafc]

The main strength of your HMS-M2 is thats its a Mscaled setup off grid.

Dave is extra sensitive to mains and input induced RF due to its earth chassis connection being bound to its digital and analog signal groundplane. Thats what also messes up measurements in a poorly setup test environment.

Once you both take it off grid and feed it optical, a new DAC is born that outperforms anything ive heard.

My created battery supply on Dave has proved this to me. Im never going back to Dave on a mains psu anymore. I played 14 hours on one charge last time which is more than enough for me. The only thing left is the aestetics to do soon when the Choral housing arrives.

I totally agree with you.
What is left under appreciated, in most setups that I've seen, is the physical proximity of the HMS to the DAC.
In my case they are 15ft apart, and it is easy to hear the benefit of that "simple" change.

i am familiar with your work (good for you!), in many ways what I've done is similar, albeit much more crude and amateurish.
That said, I still find all Chord DACs (M2, Qutest, TT2, DAVE) very sensitive to the quality of the source (jitter) even with all other sources of interference being addressed.
I know Rob W would strongly disagree, but I do not care as I hear what I hear and I have to live with it.

 

[icnaiwhimor1975]

I played 14 hours on one charge last time

14 hours of continuous play?)

 

[Reactcore]

14 hours of continuous play?)

Yep, with 4500mAh lifepo cells.
And, when better cells come out, this will increase further. I can just snap cells in my unit.

 

[Jawed]

In fact, I’ve already ditched HMS-DAVE in favor of, please do not laugh, HMS-Mojo2 and never looked back.

Definitely not laughing.

This combo retains all the benefits of the DAVE without maddening and frustrating sensitivities to seemingly anything that touches it.

Honestly I think the tragedy of Quartet M Scaler, when it arrives, will be that DAVE can't play it properly because DAVE is so hypersensitive. It won't matter if QMS has zero RF/jitter impact on DAVE, either via the mains or via dual-BNC, DAVE is still going to be flailing around due to all the other RF noise, either airborne or via the mains.

I'm reasonably confident that I have mostly optimised my mains-connected DAVE and stock-powered HMS. I've been telling Reactcore for ages he needs to sort his mains for DAVE with ferrites everywhere and of course he went one further Anyway, I'm hopeful that QMS will be heard as a net benefit in my home with DAVE versus HMS.

 

[GuiltyRocker]

Definitely not laughing.


Honestly I think the tragedy of Quartet M Scaler, when it arrives, will be that DAVE can't play it properly because DAVE is so hypersensitive. It won't matter if QMS has zero RF/jitter impact on DAVE, either via the mains or via dual-BNC, DAVE is still going to be flailing around due to all the other RF noise, either airborne or via the mains.

I'm reasonably confident that I have mostly optimised my mains-connected DAVE and stock-powered HMS. I've been telling Reactcore for ages he needs to sort his mains for DAVE with ferrites everywhere and of course he went one further Anyway, I'm hopeful that QMS will be heard as a net benefit in my home with DAVE versus HMS.

I really don't hear all this stuff about how sensitive DAVE is to RF noise, is it so sensitive to the point of negating the Quartet? I highly doubt it.

 

[number1sixerfan]

I'm not really sure about the points on noise, as I've not had issue with it and my Dave in any really major way. Adding the USB Phoenix and/or a dedicated streamer *did* provide some improvements, of which I assume is eradicating some noise. But I've heard other world class systems with other DACs and overall to my ears my system w/my mDave has always sounded better overall*. (Some other DACs had some strengths over it and vice versa). Fyi, I'm excluding anything regarding PSU, cap, etc. mods optimizations and just talking stock Dave and other stock systems.

Anyways, it would make no sense for Chord to work on a scaler and project of this magnitude that doesn't shine with its own product. I have 0 doubt that it will sound amazing, I just doubt that I will be able to afford the end price lol.

 

[chelseafc]

I'm not really sure about the points on noise, as I've not had issue with it and my Dave in any really major way. Adding the USB Phoenix and/or a dedicated streamer *did* provide some improvements, of which I assume is eradicating some noise. But I've heard other world class systems with other DACs and overall to my ears my system w/my mDave has always sounded better overall*. (Some other DACs had some strengths over it and vice versa). Fyi, I'm excluding anything regarding PSU, cap, etc. mods optimizations and just talking stock Dave and other stock systems.

Anyways, it would make no sense for Chord to work on a scaler and project of this magnitude that doesn't shine with its own product. I have 0 doubt that it will sound amazing, I just doubt that I will be able to afford the end price lol.

I just hope the new scaler will not open the garage doors like the HMS
That would make a bigger impact than adding a gazillion taps to the filter.

 

[flyte3333]

Measurements , really?

Well yeh, the guy who designed your DAC, shares a lot of measurements too if you have noticed, even if you don't care

 

[Meridian7]

Well yeh, the guy who designed your DAC, shares a lot of measurements too if you have noticed, even if you don't care

Numbers aside, Rob is adamant about listening tests as the ultimate decider. Sadly he's chronically ridiculed by measurements addicts.
Yes I stopped caring numbers in the belief that other factors make them rather irrelevant, same dac can sound differently.

...

I suppose Rob is aware of potentials to debottleneck Dave (I thought QMscaler PS would feed Dave too) but possibly business models and time constraints prohibitting.

 

[GuiltyRocker]

Well, this explains the behavior of some lunatics here hating on Rob's DACs.

 

[Jawed]

I really don't hear all this stuff about how sensitive DAVE is to RF noise, is it so sensitive to the point of negating the Quartet? I highly doubt it.

You prefer TT2 versus DAVE, don't you? Ever thought that maybe it's because DAVE wasn't set up well? That TT2 is easier to set up well?

 

[Nuno Silva]

I am a true admirer of @rob Watts´ work and DACs. Admiration which I have expressed here at Head-Fi in a few posts and by buying some of them. I have owned the Mojo 1 and I own the Mojo 2, Hugo 2, TT2 and an M Scaler. Also, and on my suggestion, my brother owns the Hugo 1.
That being said, I do appreciate @GoldenSound's approach and work method, which I find very much different from Amir's and the people of ASR. @GoldenSound makes measurements which are sustained by his subjective listening and vice-versa.
I appreciate Rob's DACs, but I'm not a cult follower and fortunately my head is still in good shape, as well as my reasoning. If Rob was not aware of the jitter problems concerning the M Scaler, I reckon he wouldn't advise batteries (BixPower), expensive cables with ferrites (Wave) and the use of the optical connection.
Just my five cents and nothing more.

 

[GuiltyRocker]

You prefer TT2 versus DAVE, don't you? Ever thought that maybe it's because DAVE wasn't set up well? That TT2 is easier to set up well?

It's a matter of preference, I do highly enjoy how transparent the DAVE is with a lot of music, however, I find the TT-2 a touch laid back and in my opinion a bit more musical, I enjoy that aspect of it. While I value transparency, musicality to me is more important, that is why I went for the TT-2.
The DAVE is X-ray transparent, not my main focus while listening to music.

 

[Jawed]

It's a matter of preference,

The way DAVE was set up probably made that preference inevitable

Now playing: Dead Meadow - Rocky Mountain High

 

[GuiltyRocker]

The way DAVE was set up probably made that preference inevitable

Now playing: Dead Meadow - Rocky Mountain High

I've listened to the DAVE is various settings, with and without the M scaler and with several cables and power conditioners, the result is always the same, which makes me wonder about these extreme RFI sensitivity claims.