CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[Triode User]

A simple question and hopefully with a simple answer for a simple person like me please.
 
I normally use an Auralic streamer to output to my Dave but BBC R3 has a trial service for 6 months outputting FLAC and this is only available via the Firefox browser and not via the Auralic.
 
From the Beeb website.
"For the duration of the pilot we are providing a simulcast of Radio 3’s live output compressed using FLAC, so it sounds every bit (no pun intended!) as good as when it left us.
How does it work?
We’re using FLAC and MPEG-DASH to deliver losslessly-compressed audio to your browser.
Because the specification for how to do this is so new, only Firefox (51 or greater) on desktop is able to play our stream, but in time we hope other browsers, mobile devices and internet radio manufacturers will follow suit, and we are actively engaging with vendors to make this happen.
Any challenges and what were the solutions?
The main challenge was finding a standards-based approach to delivering lossless audio to the browser. Following discussions with technology partners such as internet radio vendors, it was clear that FLAC would be the preferred compression method, but, at the time, there was no specification describing carriage of FLAC in MP4 for MPEG-DASH.
During discussions around other technologies, Mozilla and the Xiph.org Foundation offered to standardise encapsulation in MP4, and this was published on 1st January 2017. Firefox support was implemented ahead of this date, and R&D have built a prototype production workflow based on this specification."
 
So, for the first time I have therefore been using my iMac's digital output to the Dave.
 
And here's the simple question. In Audio MIDI Setup, which output frequency should I select to go to the Dave? 44 kHz through to 768 kHz all work, are recognised by the Dave and show up on the Dave display with the correct frequency (32 kHz doesn't, or at least it is broken up and distorted).
 
I have had a play, as you do, and to my ears and with speech the higher output frequencies sound slightly 'overbright' or even slightly sibilant. Maybe due to the mac being unsuccessful in it's attempt to upsample?
 
So, what is the answer to life, the universe, everything and also what is the correct output frequency to the Dave? 
 
42?
 

 

[Rob Watts]

I was pretty stunned to learn that Radio 3 actually goes through 3 sample rate converters (SRC) - of course not lossless at every SRC. Hopefully with this experiment they have stopped this.
 
Video sources are 48 kHz; but most music is of course 44.1 kHz; so I would set it at 44.1 kHz for Radio 3.

 

[Triode User]

  I was pretty stunned to learn that Radio 3 actually goes through 3 sample rate converters (SRC) - of course not lossless at every SRC. Hopefully with this experiment they have stopped this.
 
Video sources are 48 kHz; but most music is of course 44.1 kHz; so I would set it at 44.1 kHz for Radio 3.

 Many thanks.

 

[EVOLVIST]

Show of hands. Anyone using a pre-amp behind the DAVE, using the DAVE as DAC only?

 

[jelt2359]

Show of hands. Anyone using a pre-amp behind the DAVE, using the DAVE as DAC only?

I've tried. The problem is the DAVE smokes every preamp I've used it with, including a $14,495 flagship BAT-VK53SE. At that point I gave up, and now my DAVE is my DAC+Pre. I also tend to now put my external integrated/headamps at the high end of their volume range (or even max) and use the volume control of the Dave.

 

[ray-dude]

  I've tried. The problem is the DAVE smokes every preamp I've used it with, including a $14,495 flagship BAT-VK53SE. At that point I gave up, and now my DAVE is my DAC+Pre. I also tend to now put my external integrated/headamps at the high end of their volume range (or even max) and use the volume control of the Dave.

 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around how to integrate a DAVE 2 channel setup into a home theatre in a way that is family proof (alas, the lack of HT bypass makes things challenging)
 
What strategies are people doing to fully leverage DAVE in a surround setup?  I only have a 2 channel setup right now (with DAVE as the pre), but am planning out a surround setup

 

[drbobbybones]

Show of hands. Anyone using a pre-amp behind the DAVE, using the DAVE as DAC only?

I use the DAVE as a DAC only into my WA22 when I run my HD800's. Sounds better to my ears than through the headphone out on the DAVE. But I run most of my other cans straight out of the DAVE.

 

[jelt2359]

I use the DAVE as a DAC only into my WA22 when I run my HD800's. Sounds better to my ears than through the headphone out on the DAVE. But I run most of my other cans straight out of the DAVE.

Have you tried WA22 at max volume and controlling the volume via DAVE? Very likely to sound better.

 

[drbobbybones]

Have you tried WA22 at max volume and controlling the volume via DAVE? Very likely to sound better.

I do something like that. I find the sonic sweet spot for the WA22 is between 12 and 3 o'clock on the volume knob. And I use the volume control on the DAVE to get fine adjustment.

 

[strangecargo]

Show of hands. Anyone using a pre-amp behind the DAVE, using the DAVE as DAC only?

I will be using the DAVE with a Spectral DMC-30SV, whenever it arrives. I didn't have the DAVE on hand when I did a take-home demo of the Spectral, but I'm hoping for good things. The DAVE is much better at driving the 6m of cable between my source rack and power amp than my PS Audio DirectStream, but I can't listen to my turntable without a preamp in place.

 

[EVOLVIST]

  I will be using the DAVE with a Spectral DMC-30SV, whenever it arrives. I didn't have the DAVE on hand when I did a take-home demo of the Spectral, but I'm hoping for good things. The DAVE is much better at driving the 6m of cable between my source rack and power amp than my PS Audio DirectStream, but I can't listen to my turntable without a preamp in place.

 
Oh, those are beautiful. At first I didn't place the name, but man what an old school look with a modern sound. I love the look of these things. If every audio component looked like you could insert an 8-inch floppy disk, oh what a better world it would be.

 

[strangecargo]

   
Oh, those are beautiful. At first I didn't place the name, but man what an old school look with a modern sound. I love the look of these things. If every audio component looked like you could insert an 8-inch floppy disk, oh what a better world it would be.

 
Haha. Yeah, my initial reaction to the aesthetic was that it looked like a Delorean. I actually wonder if that's what the "DMC" in the product name stands for... 

 
While I'm here, can somebody help me out with making the best of the USB connection on the DAVE? I know the DAVE employs galvanic isolation on the USB side, but I've picked up through some searching that it's still somewhat affected by the traditional issues that people have with USB. I've been doing some experimentation with some of the USB decrapifiers I have on hand, and this is what I've noticed:
 

• iFi iPurifier - small improvement in SQ over nothing
• iFi micro iUSB3.0 - serious improvement in noise floor and dynamics, enough that DAVE sounds louder
• iFi iPurifier + micro iUSB3.0 combined - hard to tell from #1

 
I think I've read that the DAVE galvanic isolation is powered by the USB host. Could it be that the USB input responds primarily to clean USB power for the isolation, and that the presence of the iPurifier right at the type B connector of the DAVE is actually reintroducing noise into the system? In all these situations, I'm using a 2m Nordost Blue Heaven USB cable and the USB host is a microRendu running as a Roon endpoint.

 

[Imusicman]

   
Haha. Yeah, my initial reaction to the aesthetic was that it looked like a Delorean. I actually wonder if that's what the "DMC" in the product name stands for... 

 
While I'm here, can somebody help me out with making the best of the USB connection on the DAVE? I know the DAVE employs galvanic isolation on the USB side, but I've picked up through some searching that it's still somewhat affected by the traditional issues that people have with USB. I've been doing some experimentation with some of the USB decrapifiers I have on hand, and this is what I've noticed:
 

• iFi iPurifier - small improvement in SQ over nothing
• iFi micro iUSB3.0 - serious improvement in noise floor and dynamics, enough that DAVE sounds louder
• iFi iPurifier + micro iUSB3.0 combined - hard to tell from #1

 
I think I've read that the DAVE galvanic isolation is powered by the USB host. Could it be that the USB input responds primarily to clean USB power for the isolation, and that the presence of the iPurifier right at the type B connector of the DAVE is actually reintroducing noise into the system? In all these situations, I'm using a 2m Nordost Blue Heaven USB cable and the USB host is a microRendu running as a Roon endpoint.

I am using the iFi nano iUSB 3.0 in my chain and experienced similar fantastic results. Best upgrade I ever made to my system. Awesome bit of kit. My Dave arrives in two weeks. Can't wait!

 

[Triode User]

Show of hands. Anyone using a pre-amp behind the DAVE, using the DAVE as DAC only?

I tried Dave direct to my valve power amps and the sound lost much of it's precision and musicality. I now use a Music First passive transformer pre amp (with silver wound transformers).
 
It was the same story with the Hugo1 and HugoTT. I tried with a variety of valve amps as well, same difference.

 

[7ryder]

   
I'm still trying to wrap my head around how to integrate a DAVE 2 channel setup into a home theatre in a way that is family proof (alas, the lack of HT bypass makes things challenging)
 
What strategies are people doing to fully leverage DAVE in a surround setup?  I only have a 2 channel setup right now (with DAVE as the pre), but am planning out a surround setup

my system is a combined HT/2-channel system, so I use a dedicated 2-channel preamp for music and then the HT bypass kicks in and I use a surround processor for TV, movies, etc. See my profile for gear details.