CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[lovethatsound]

Does the DAVE get firmware updates?, like, for example, the PSAudio DS...which has had several...and improved along the way.
Thanks
Dan

Hi dmance
No,Dave doesn't get firmware updates.☺

 

[x RELIC x]

Hugo and 2 Qute won't have any upgrades. The knowledge gained from Dave means it will only work with more gates, so Hugo platform is pretty much optimum given the size of the FPGA.

Dave is possible to have an upgrade, but this would be back to distributor or Chord. I will only do an upgrade if we can make an improvement that is substantial though. Since my FPGA technology is maturing, its less likely to have one though. The DAC 64 had a lot of changes, QBD less, Qute even less, Hugo none...

Rob

 

[Rob Watts]

Questions for Rob Watts:

1) Is it ok to use SHORTING BNC caps on DAVE's unused ports? I read that shorting caps can potentially cause damage on some preamps.
2) If OK to use, would there be any potential sonic benefit with the shorting caps?

Thank you and I will take the answer off the air

 
1. You can on the BNC inputs - but don't do it on the BNC DX outputs!
 
As too sonic benefits - no. In the very distant past the interface device sometimes oscillated, and so I use a pull-up to ensure that can't happen. Having said that, it's not impossible that the 75 ohm BNC inputs would pick up more RF noise, and that would find it's way onto the multiple ground planes and then alter the sound, but I can't see that actually happening in practice as the BNC ground is already connected to the ground plane.
 
Active inputs that are linear would be much more sensitive, but the pull-ups ensure the input is not active when not used.
 
Rob 

 

[Ampus]

1. You can on the BNC inputs - but don't do it on the BNC DX outputs!

As too sonic benefits - no. In the very distant past the interface device sometimes oscillated, and so I use a pull-up to ensure that can't happen. Having said that, it's not impossible that the 75 ohm BNC inputs would pick up more RF noise, and that would find it's way onto the multiple ground planes and then alter the sound, but I can't see that actually happening in practice as the BNC ground is already connected to the ground plane.

Active inputs that are linear would be much more sensitive, but the pull-ups ensure the input is not active when not used.

Rob 

Thank you very much Rob.

Love your products!

 

[ubs28]

According to my ears the optical connection sounds a bit smoother while USB sounds "snappier" but less smooth. So which connection is more accurate? It's something I hear on the HD 800 S with my set of ears.
 
Also does buying new a USB cable make it sounds more smooth while retaining the "snappiness"?

 

[Jawed]

Choose whichever makes each piece of music sound most different from everything else. The more unique each piece sounds, the better your setup.

If you can't decide, then try one option for a few weeks and see if your feelings over that time have expanded. See if one option results in music that surprises you more often.

Listening explicitly to sound quality with an analytical frame of mind gets in the way of the music. In the end you're not trying to draw a graph of sound quality, you're trying to enjoy and be stimulated by the music.

 

[DaveRedRef-III]

Its only recently that I have been happy enough with my system to show it off to friends. Started with various friends who were not particularly audiophile centric and the result has been in each case to change their view of how rewarding it is to own a good music system in their house, to the point of perhaps choosing to go without other luxuries. Anyway the person I most value his opinion is a friend I have played in bands, recorded with for many years and I would say the guy who really taught me how to listen properly when recording. He's a Quad guy. Electrostatics and all. We spent all of Friday playing anything he wanted to hear. He clearly appreciated the important aspects of audiophile reproduction but I think it was his reaction when he got home the following day which told the most. His comment was "Since I've been back, my Hi-fi sounds veiled and lifeless" .......another Dave convert I think.

 

[onsionsi]

I have a difficulties to toggle between the DSD+ and PCM+, actually i press many times in the left or right button to reach a desired one.
 
So, could someone help me for this issue.

 

[Rob Watts]

I didn't want people inadvertently switching modes so you need to press the right or left button for at least one second after the plus menu is selected.
 
Rob 

 

[Chrispb1]

Surely this must be the kings new clothes syndrome! I've been at this hifi game for over 30 years and have experienced, to my ears, improvements ranging from subtle to significant. But, despite salivating at prospect of having DAVE on loan for a long weekend, I just didn't hear what all the fuss is about. It's nice sounding and totally competent, but only marginally better than the dac in the Bluesound Vault 2 and not as good as the one in my Mcintosh c2500 pre.
I compared CD, ripped CD, streamed (tidal HD) and even against vinyl and in all configurations and nothing, I mean nothing about dave raised and oz of desire to own it. Not tried the Yggdrasil yet but very much looking forward to it and when it arrives on loan, I will again listen without prejudice.

 

[bigfatpaulie]

Surely this must be the kings new clothes syndrome! I've been at this hifi game for over 30 years and have experienced, to my ears, improvements ranging from subtle to significant. But, despite salivating at prospect of having DAVE on loan for a long weekend, I just didn't hear what all the fuss is about. It's nice sounding and totally competent, but only marginally better than the dac in the Bluesound Vault 2 and not as good as the one in my Mcintosh c2500 pre.
I compared CD, ripped CD, streamed (tidal HD) and even against vinyl and in all configurations and nothing, I mean nothing about dave raised and oz of desire to own it. Not tried the Yggdrasil yet but very much looking forward to it and when it arrives on loan, I will again listen without prejudice.

 
Consider yourself lucky!  You've saved a bunch of money.  I wish I didn't think the DAVE was so good - I would sell mine and buy something much cheaper if only. 

 

[dguitarnut]

Surely this must be the kings new clothes syndrome! I've been at this hifi game for over 30 years and have experienced, to my ears, improvements ranging from subtle to significant. But, despite salivating at prospect of having DAVE on loan for a long weekend, I just didn't hear what all the fuss is about. It's nice sounding and totally competent, but only marginally better than the dac in the Bluesound Vault 2 and not as good as the one in my Mcintosh c2500 pre.
I compared CD, ripped CD, streamed (tidal HD) and even against vinyl and in all configurations and nothing, I mean nothing about dave raised and oz of desire to own it. Not tried the Yggdrasil yet but very much looking forward to it and when it arrives on loan, I will again listen without prejudice.

I just got a Dave for evaluation for a few days. It's a healthy notch above my Yggdrasil which I have owned over a year now. It's just a more real presentation of instruments and voices. As is should be considering it's about a 6 fold price difference. If I was to quantify the improvement I would say 10% better imho.

 

[dmance]

  According to my ears the optical connection sounds a bit smoother while USB sounds "snappier" but less smooth. So which connection is more accurate? It's something I hear on the HD 800 S with my set of ears.
 
Also does buying new a USB cable make it sounds more smooth while retaining the "snappiness"?

​I've posted in other threads about the fact that, with any USB cable, the digital audio bits all arrive intact with perfect fidelity.  Why do we hear a difference?  Because the analog noise in the USB power rail lines has mV noise from the PC/Server that contaminates the physical layer processing of the USB data ... or, in a poor design gets right in to the D/A innards and adds timing errors that degrade the entire track.  When you clean this up (with any number of products, notably something which inserts clean USB +5V from a LDO regulated battery), you can use any USB cable for perfect sound - transparent to the best CD transports (all things being equal).
dan

 

[Beolab]

Surely this must be the kings new clothes syndrome! I've been at this hifi game for over 30 years and have experienced, to my ears, improvements ranging from subtle to significant. But, despite salivating at prospect of having DAVE on loan for a long weekend, I just didn't hear what all the fuss is about. It's nice sounding and totally competent, but only marginally better than the dac in the Bluesound Vault 2 and not as good as the one in my Mcintosh c2500 pre.
I compared CD, ripped CD, streamed (tidal HD) and even against vinyl and in all configurations and nothing, I mean nothing about dave raised and oz of desire to own it. Not tried the Yggdrasil yet but very much looking forward to it and when it arrives on loan, I will again listen without prejudice.

This you first post on HeadFi .

Very interesting:

Can you describe for us on how you connect the DAVE ?
Did you use headphones and what model/brand or speakers through your Mcintoish Pre amp?
Then lastly, Bluesound Vault 2 got only a Toslink and Coax output, so i assume you have not tested it with USB.

 

[GryphonGuy]

During the first couple of days with my DAVE, I was not getting anything of "gee-wiz" type euphoria that everyone was talking about either. I found the optical and SPDIF connections identical in sound quality and quite restricted in the soundstage dept and the AES connection with an AES protocol on that cable to be unlistenable compared with optical or SPDIF. BUT, I put the SPDIF protocol through the AES cable (transparent reference digital AES cable) and the presentation became slightly better (airier wider etc) than the single-ended bayonet SPDIF connection.
 
However USB was slightly better than the traditional audio connections even with the stock USB cable.
 
Now that I have the Kimber KS-2436AG USB cable in the system and both DAVE and the Kimber USB have got some mileage on them, the sound is so awesome I have never felt the need to revisit the traditional connection types to see if they have changed much since the testing when DAVE was a couple of days old.
 
Of course YMMV and probably does compared with my journey.
 
GG