CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[pkcpga]

Given your listed sound signature preference and price range I'd say that the AKG-550 may be an option. The treble can be a little metallic, but overall, for a closed headphone at the price, it does well for soundstage and clarity. The key to a balanced sound though is getting a good seal as the clamping force of the headband is rather weak. Many with a smaller head just can't get a good seal. I've modified mine with tissue under the earpad rim and bent the headband a little to help with the seal. Worth an audition at least.

Thanks, sounds good, I like clear present natural sounding vocals, how are the vocals on the akg?

 

[x RELIC x]

Thanks, sounds good, I like clear present natural sounding vocals, how are the vocals on the akg?

Clear and present. :wink_face:

 

[pkcpga]

Clear and present. :wink_face:

Great sounds like a perfect match.

 

[ecwl]

Since a lot of people on here are fellow Dave owners, I need to pick up a cheaper closed headphone (under $500, preferably under $300), since I will only be using it for two weeks. I don't use closed headphones much since I usually listen in my own home or office or use IEM's while traveling but I'll be helping a friend at their office for two weeks and not sure I can handle long periods with IEM's. Thanks
My favorite current headphone is grado gs1000i or sennheiser hd800. I also own the Audeze LCD 3 but like the first two more.

I use my Oppo PM3 with my Mojo at work. It's okay. I doubt you'll hate it. It's worth what it's worth.

 

[106099]

No I'll be using with the mojo or take my naim v1 DAC along, I use the Dave with my home set up.

 
The Telos works great with my Hugo as well. So probably fine with Mojo.
Has an airy feel, much wider staging than my other IEMs.
 
paul

 

[pkcpga]

The Telos works great with my Hugo as well. So probably fine with Mojo.
Has an airy feel, much wider staging than my other IEMs.

paul

Thanks I like my IEM's just don't work well with taking them on and off for quick questions all the time.

 

[x RELIC x]

Yes, the PM-3 as well as the Audeze Sine are very good options as well. They reportedly perform very well (I haven't heard them) but from what I gather are less 'bright' than the AKG, and decidedly more money, even though they may be the better performers all around.

Edit: To add, the Meze 99 classics are getting good reviews, but the styling is a bit 'flashy'.

 

[pkcpga]

Yes, the PM-3 as well as the Audeze Sine are very good options as well. They reportedly perform very well (I haven't heard them) but from what I gather are less 'bright' than the AKG, and decidedly more money, even though they may be the better performers all around.

Edit: To add, the Meze 99 classics are getting good reviews, but the styling is a bit 'flashy'.

I listened to the Audeze sine at my local dealer not impressed at all very muddy sounding, not clear vocals at all.

Has anyone heard the pm3, I can't find anyone that carries in NYC or Boston area.

 

[extenso]

My impression is that most owners and reviewers measure the quality of DAVE based on music genres known for pristine recording quality - classical, jazz and other mainly acoustic genres. I am all for testing gear using recordings where you have an idea about how instruments and vocals are supposed to sound in real life. I would do the same. But when daily musical preferences point toward the harsh, murky world of extreme metal, what would Rob Watts`creation become then? A very shine pearl before swine? To put it another way: I am very tempted by DAVE for pairing with my HE-1000, but will its vanishingly low distortion and exquisite timing work wonders for the black metal buzz as well as the vast dynamics and ambience of a symphony? The temptation to have a top-flight DAC is hard to resist. In the grand scheme of things, DAVE is affordable if it could provide a lifetime of musical joy.  
 
Or should I just aim for the possibly rounded flavour of the Mojo? 

 

[JaZZ]

  My impression is that most owners and reviewers measure the quality of DAVE based on music genres known for pristine recording quality - classical, jazz and other mainly acoustic genres. I am all for testing gear using recordings where you have an idea about how instruments and vocals are supposed to sound in real life. I would do the same. But when daily musical preferences point toward the harsh, murky world of extreme metal, what would Rob Watts`creation become then? A very shine pearl before swine? To put it another way: I am very tempted by DAVE for pairing with my HE-1000, but will its vanishingly low distortion and exquisite timing work wonders for the black metal buzz as well as the vast dynamics and ambience of a symphony?  

 
Yes. Metal with its dense sound fabric benefits a lot from DAVE's high resolution and dynamics, orchestral music anyway. That said, the way it renders all the subtleties of a solo violin, saxophone or flute is equally outstanding.
 
Generally DAVE's virtues are not restricted to certain genres, as I see it, but certainly to some degree dependent on the recording (quality).

 

[Crgreen]

I've played a wide range of music on the DAVE, and everything benefits from the increase in resolution and removal of digital nasties. Guitar distortions are simply more apparent as inentional affects, though there have been times when I've worried if my speaker cones have split, and realised it's the recording. A good example of a heavily processed recording which sounds great is the hi-res version of El Vy's "Return to the Moon" (recommended). How much you value this accuracy, and the extent to which it makes a significant difference to the music is of course, a matter of preference.

 

[JaZZ]

I've played a wide range of music on the DAVE, and everything benefits from the increase in resolution and removal of digital nasties. Guitar distortions are simply more apparent as inentional effects, though there have been times when I've worried if my speaker cones have split, and realised it's the recording. A good example of a heavily processed recording which sounds great is the hi-res version of El Vy's "Return to the Moon" (recommended). How much you value this accuracy, and the extent to which it makes a significant difference to the music is of course, a matter of preference.

 
That's a good example. I especially like the way DAVE reproduces electric guitars, distorted or not.

 

[LouisArmstrong]

Hugo = You Go
Mojo = Mobile Joy
Why "Dave"?

 

[x RELIC x]

Hugo = You Go
Mojo = Mobile Joy
Why "Dave"?

Digital to Analogue Veritas in Extremis (truth in the extreme).

 

[extenso]

Digital to Analogue Veritas Extremus (truth in the extreme).

Not a big deal, but the exact phrasing is "in Extremis".