[Ashrunner]

  Hi everyone.  Just picked up my Dave (black color looks gorgeous) on Saturday.  Everything seems fine except that it will occasionally detect wrong sampling frequency.  This usually happens when I switch from DSD+ to PCM+ or vice versa.  For example, when I change from DSD+ to PCM+ when playing music in 44.1kHz format, Dave may display 88Khz and output some strange sound.  I will have to stop and restart Audirvana+ for Dave to re-detect the sample frequency.  In most case, this solves the problem but sometimes, I have to stop and restart the music 2 or 3 times in order for Dave to detect the correct sample frequency.  On rare occasions, even music was played for the first time after it was switched on, Dave may detect the wrong sampling frequency, and I will have to stop and restart the track with Audirvana+ for Dave to re-detect the correct sample frequency.
 
I am using iMac to Dave with Audioquest Diamond USB Cable, and then, direct to Utopia.  Power cable is stock.  In the past, Hugo TT was used in the same way as the Dave and no such problem ever arised.
 
Has anyone experienced this before?  Should I be concerned?

There is a long thread on the Roon support forums about this issue.  Go to Roon and search for Dave.

 

[halloweenman]

Just been comparing a decent pair of headphones, Audeze EL8 (closed back) and Audioquest Nighthawk using Dave and TT to my ATC SCM40A speakers. Both the Audeze and Nighthawks sound nice, I prefer the Nighthawk for their more open warm sound. Not a fair comparison really as I suspect the semi open design of the Nighthawk is more to my taste than the closed back design of the EL8. One thing is for sure though, the best headphones in the world just cannot touch these speakers for realism and emotional exprsssion. Headphones are great for when speakers are not practical but they are a very poor second best.

As for Dave, my initial thoughts are still with me, so near yet so far, something not quite right. Soundstaging too big, too deep, too three dimensional, disjointed? Too smooth, too warm? DAC, speaker, room synergy? I don't know but I continue to prefer TT.

 

[jlbrach]

Just been comparing a decent pair of headphones, Audeze EL8 (closed back) and Audioquest Nighthawk using Dave and TT to my ATC SCM40A speakers. Both the Audeze and Nighthawks sound nice, I prefer the Nighthawk for their more open warm sound. Not a fair comparison really as I suspect the semi open design of the Nighthawk is more to my taste than the closed back design of the EL8. One thing is for sure though, the best headphones in the world just cannot touch these speakers for realism and emotional exprsssion. Headphones are great for when speakers are not practical but they are a very poor second best.

As for Dave, my initial thoughts are still with me, so near yet so far, something not quite right. Soundstaging too big, too deep, too three dimensional, too disjointed? Too smooth, too warm? DAC, speaker, room synergy? I don't know but I continue to prefer TT.

Dave with my LCD-4 and Moon 430 or with the Utopia straight out of the Dave rival the very best loudspeakers.....it is a very different experience for sure,more intimate but startlingly good.....I have a very high end loudspeaker system but recently I have been listening to the HP's more and more...TT is great and without hearing the Dave i said can it get any better than this then I heard the Dave and the answer was a resounding yes...

 

[halloweenman]

Not for being there realism, not even close imho. Shouldn't say that as I've never tried focal utopia but my guess would be that they are not a million miles away from nighthawks.

 

[miketlse]

Just been comparing a decent pair of headphones, Audeze EL8 (closed back) and Audioquest Nighthawk using Dave and TT to my ATC SCM40A speakers. Both the Audeze and Nighthawks sound nice, I prefer the Nighthawk for their more open warm sound. Not a fair comparison really as I suspect the semi open design of the Nighthawk is more to my taste than the closed back design of the EL8. One thing is for sure though, the best headphones in the world just cannot touch these speakers for realism and emotional exprsssion. Headphones are great for when speakers are not practical but they are a very poor second best.

As for Dave, my initial thoughts are still with me, so near yet so far, something not quite right. Soundstaging too big, too deep, too three dimensional, disjointed? Too smooth, too warm? DAC, speaker, room synergy? I don't know but I continue to prefer TT.

Rob Watts stated that one of the reasons why he enjoyed the Nighthawks so much, was that they provide a 'sound' that reminds him so much of normal speakers, in contrast to many headphones that give a closed in but very detailed sound.
He also said that the first time he tried the Utopia (at a hifi show, so not ideal conditions for testing), that they showed promise as offering a similar 'speaker type' sound to the Nighthawks, but would need more testing in non-hi fi show conditions, to confirm the initial impression.
 
Nighthawks and Elear (I cannot justify the Utopia cost) are on my list of interesting headphones - but the Nighthawks would seem to offer a great bargain if anyone can source them whilst they are currently on offer in the US.

 

[halloweenman]

The nighthawks are a very nice listen. Perhaps more speaker like than other headphones, I don't know, but I do know they sound nothing like when I sit in front of my speakers.

 

[jlbrach]

The LCD-4 with my Dave and my moon 430 is an experience,that is the best way to describe

 

[GryphonGuy]

  The LCD-4 with my Dave and my moon 430 is an experience,that is the best way to describe

 
And reading between the lines, so to speak, you seem happy with your experience and that is a great way to describe listening to the DAVE. It is an experience and every day that experience exists as soon as you turn your system on. I have never listened to so much music and now with DAVE I am constantly noting that I have never heard my music collection presented with such realism and soundstage precision before I acquired DAVE. I have also never heard so many mistakes/retakes/cover-ups in recorded music before. Simply captivating experience my way too. Thanks Chord for DAVE; a great and enjoyable product!

 

[Sabenza]

@jlbrach, the problems mentioned at the Roon Support forum do resemble mine (except that I am using Audirvana).  The drop out or strange noise usually appears usually at beginning of tracks of DSD128 or higher.  Less so for 44.1kHz tracks.  I don't see a lot of this problem on this forum.  Is no one else here facing this issue?
 
My Hugo TT does not have this problem at all.

 

[rkt31]

@halloweenman, I suspect you have positioned your speakers in straight firing position which generally always cause unwanted room interactions. try toeing in of speakers which will help in better integration of soundstage.

 

[halloweenman]

@halloweenman, I suspect you have positioned your speakers in straight firing position which generally always cause unwanted room interactions. try toeing in of speakers which will help in better integration of soundstage.

The speakers are toed in to just behind the listening position. I've measured my room acoustics from listening position, the only real problem is a low frequency room resonance around 45hz.

 

[rkt31]

increase the toe in , you may get rid of the problem.

 

[halloweenman]

I have also tried pointing speakers to listening position but same low frequency room resonances still occur. I think it's more to do with room dimensions and construction materials rather than which direction the speakers are pointing. Standing bass waves are the issue, they have nowhere to go or they cannot be easily absorbed in the room.
 
I have some RPG Modex Plates (Type 2) on order to hopefully rectify the room mode issue.

 

[Nik]

Which kind of floor do you have in the room? If the problem is there you can't do nothing....

 

[astrostar59]

The speakers are toed in to just behind the listening position. I've measured my room acoustics from listening position, the only real problem is a low frequency room resonance around 45hz.

You tried different mounting. It may help to put them on a plinth say 25cm high so off the floor. I have big speakers with 12 inch woofers and that did the trick, goes down to 20hz with no interaction with the room. My plinths are 4cm thick Granite and I have 5cm high rubber cones between the speaker base and the top of the plinths.
 
Wood floor are bad for interaction. If you have wood, you need to use a combination of mass below the speaker (granite) and isolation from there speaker base and the support.