CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[7ryder]

Just to explain in more simplistic terms I would say the cradle is a macro vibrational solution whilst the Stillpoints excel at micro vibration. They anchor and finish the job off.

Interesting. how do you use the cradle with the Stillpoints?

 

[DaveRedRef-III]

I put them underneath the (lower) front leading edge of Dave. It may sound like overkill but I suppress vibration even in my speaker cables (though this is an adhoc solution it further improves clarity). As I say, vibration is everywhere in the system.

 

[Mython]

I put them underneath the (lower) front leading edge of Dave. It may sound like overkill but I suppress vibration even in my speaker cables (though this is an adhoc solution it further improves clarity). As I say, vibration is everywhere in the system.

 
 
What do you do to stop your eardrums vibrating?

 

[DaveRedRef-III]

The whole whole lot (Dave, Cradle, Stillpoints) also sits on a VerexAQ granite plinth with a puck under each corner!

 

[DaveRedRef-III]

What do you do to stop your eardrums vibrating?

Ah. I never thought of that. Doh!

 

[DaveRedRef-III]

In my defence, I do live in a 300 year old house with suspended wooden floors. I don't think they were thinking about catering for obsessive hifi buffs when they built it.

 

[Mython]

In my defence, I do live in a 300 year old house with suspended wooden floors. I don't think they were thinking about catering for obsessive hifi buffs when they built it.

 
 
Although I was pulling your leg about vibrations in your speaker cables, on a more serious note, I have experience of removing all the floorboards in a room and reinforcing the 7x2 joists with 2x4s screwed to the both sides of them. I must stress that this wasn't a bodge to inappropriately shore-up failing joists. There was nothing structurally wrong with the joists (if there was, I would've ripped them out and replaced them entirely). The reason for adding the 2x4s was primarily just to improve how level the floor was, since, as you know, joists in old houses have a tendency to sag &/or warp after a century or more. So, the floorboards now rest on the ruler-flat 2x4s, with the bonus that it happens to have made the floor more rigid to a rather surprising extent - so much so, that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you try it, if you feel your wooden floors could do with more structural integrity for hi-fi purposes, with the caveat that it is not a remedy for rotten joists, only for strengthening joists that are fundamentally sound (no pun intended).

 

[Music Alchemist]

Just for reference:
http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/product/choral-ensemble-stand/
http://www.analogueseduction.net/category-685/chord-electronics-choral-ensemble-equipment-support.html
 
Stillpoints also sell a similar product, the ESS Rack, but it is a *lot* more expensive. (Roughly $9,000 to $22,000.)
 
A quick tip: If you're using loudspeakers instead of headphones, when implementing changes you want to test in your system, try to remain in the same listening spot, ideally having someone else make the changes. (If you use a chair, this may not be necessary.) This is because simply moving from one position in a room to another can alter the sound, and it's easy to mistake things in such a situation.

 

[DaveRedRef-III]

Although I was pulling your leg about vibrations in your speaker cables, on a more serious note, I have experience of removing all the floorboards in a room and reinforcing the 7x2 joists with 2x4s screwed to the both sides of them. I must stress that this wasn't a bodge to inappropriately shore-up failing joists. There was nothing structurally wrong with the joists (if there was, I would've ripped them out and replaced them entirely). The reason for adding the 2x4s was primarily just to improve how level the floor was, since, as you know, joists in old houses have a tendency to sag &/or warp after a century or more. So, the floorboards now rest on the ruler-flat 2x4s, with the bonus that it happens to have made the floor more rigid to a rather surprising extent - so much so, that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you try it, if you feel your wooden floors could do with more structural integrity for hi-fi purposes, with the caveat that it is not a remedy for rotten joists, only for strengthening joists that are fundamentally sound (no pun intended).

If you went to those extremes Mython then you are my audiophile God.

I quite liked the this solution posted here recently by a likethinking audiophile.
http://www.accessflooringshop.co.uk/categories/pedestals/

In the end though I will be creating my own purpose built hifi/movie room when we extend the house. It will have a concrete base with Oak Block-Parquet flooring on top. That should minimise vibration I hope.

 

[7ryder]

  Just for reference:
http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/product/choral-ensemble-stand/
http://www.analogueseduction.net/category-685/chord-electronics-choral-ensemble-equipment-support.html
 
Stillpoints also sell a similar product, the ESS Rack, but it is a *lot* more expensive. (Roughly $9,000 to $22,000.)
 
A quick tip: If you're using loudspeakers instead of headphones, when implementing changes you want to test in your system, try to remain in the same listening spot, ideally having someone else make the changes. (If you use a chair, this may not be necessary.) This is because simply moving from one position in a room to another can alter the sound, and it's easy to mistake things in such a situation.

not to beat a dead horse, but I was not commenting on the cost of entire stands.
 
From what I have read (and also heard from more than one Chord dealer) is that there are more cost effective ways to isolate DAVE from room borne vibrations than buying the stand if the only piece of Chord kit you own is DAVE.
 
And, since I started the Stillpoints comparison, in the USA you can get 4 Stillpoint Ultra SS w/ bases for approximately $1275 (retail) compared to the DAVE stand @ $2500 or so. 
 
Like I said, the Chord stand is very sexy...but on its own, it is a lot of money for what you get.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  not to beat a dead horse, but I was not commenting on the cost of entire stands.
 
From what I have read (and also heard from more than one Chord dealer) is that there are more cost effective ways to isolate DAVE from room borne vibrations than buying the stand if the only piece of Chord kit you own is DAVE.
 
And, since I started the Stillpoints comparison, in the USA you can get 4 Stillpoint Ultra SS w/ bases for approximately $1275 (retail) compared to the DAVE stand @ $2500 or so. 
 
Like I said, the Chord stand is very sexy...but on its own, it is a lot of money for what you get.

 
I pretty much agree with you.
 
However...I wonder...
 

1. If one could use the Chord stand and Stillpoints in conjunction...you know, for "ultimate isolation" and that sexy look.
   
2. How much better the Stillpoints Ultra 6 footers would be, since it'd be $3,600 or more for four of them.
3. How much improvement these types of things would make on headphone systems.

 

[TSAVJason]

I pretty much agree with you.

However...I wonder...

• If one could use the Chord stand and Stillpoints in conjunction...you know, for "ultimate isolation" and that sexy look.
• How much better the Stillpoints Ultra 6 footers would be, since it'd be $3,600 or more for four of them.
• How much improvement these types of things would make on headphone systems.

Like John has told you, the Dave stands primary purpose is to be able to stack Chord gear. Early next year there is a Canadian company providing isolation feet that will work on the Dave stand (already tested) very nicely at $300 per leg. So much less than stillpoints at nearly the same quality

 

[Music Alchemist]

It would appear this hasn't been linked to yet.
 
http://www.whathifi.com/chord/dave/review

 

[Beolab]

About 7 month ago i think someone published it here, but there is not accurat info in the old review from the "drunken sailer" WhatHifi ,
i remember was my comment, so you havent read through the whole thread my friend.

Start from page 1 ,

happy reading,..

 

[miketlse]

It would appear this hasn't been linked to yet.

http://www.whathifi.com/chord/dave/review

It was discussed on the thread. From memory one of the elements discussed was that WhatHiFi felt that they could not bring themselves to give the DAVE a perfect score, but had to deduct a mark because on the demo model, the two halves of the case were misaligned by a fraction of a mm.