[tunes]

A few of us have asked for the mScaler as a standalone product. In the meantime I guess we all have to wait, I would like it now as I have no intreast in CD ( only to purchase and rip ).
As sales tail off of Blu Mk 2 I hope it will be released.
The up lift in cost from the standard CD player to the CD player with the mScaler is not much extra so I presume Chord will be using the mScaler to promote other platforms so it may be unlikely to be released as a separate product which would be a shame.
Chord may wish to have the mScaler only with other products...?
If it could be clipped into Dave Mk 2 it would save the cable issue and extra stand but unlikely.

Can regular FLAC files be fed to the mScaler via USB or optical to avoid having to spin CDs on the transport??

 

[Rob Watts]

Sure Blu 2 has a USB input and a BNC coax input too.

 

[Crgreen]

It's a bit like the original Hugo which appears to have been designed as a portable headphone DAC, with a line out, but many, including mine, ended up as system DAC which never moved nor had headphones plugged into it.

Similarly, with the BLU 2 I, and I suspect many others, view it as a USB/BNC m-scaler to feed the DAVE, with a CD transport built in. In other words, an m-scaler which can handle any digital source.

 

[raypin]

Mm...yes but the point is a standalone M scaler will cost less (substantial?) and that is always a good thing for the end-user.

 

[Crgreen]

Mm...yes but the point is a standalone M scaler will cost less (substantial?) and that is always a good thing for the end-user.

In principle, one would think it would cost less, but it's unclear at present how substantial that would be, when it would become available and whether the money in your account will be of equivalent value at that point. Wait and see I suppose. Personally, I'm so impressed with Rob's digital advances and have enjoyed listening to music so much using them, I'd rather just get on with it. Of course, there are other equally legitimate views.

 

[Malcyg]

In principle, one would think it would cost less, but it's unclear at present how substantial that would be, when it would become available and whether the money in your account will be of equivalent value at that point. Wait and see I suppose. Personally, I'm so impressed with Rob's digital advances and have enjoyed listening to music so much using them, I'd rather just get on with it. Of course, there are other equally legitimate views.

I also doubt that a standalone unit would be significantly cheaper than Blu II. Sure, you'd lose the CD transport, but they'd surely need to add various other inputs as per Dave, maybe Ethernet as well, maybe even a built in streamer like the DSX1000 that I had prior to Dave.

I wonder whether people may be over estimating the cost of the CD drive and assume that if you strip it out, you get an M Scaler at half the price. I don't think that is how it would pan out myself.

 

[ecwl]

Stereophile review is now online.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/chord-electronics-dave-da-processor

 

[Triode User]

Mm...yes but the point is a standalone M scaler will cost less (substantial?) and that is always a good thing for the end-user.

Rob has already poured cold water on the hope of substantial savings by having a stand alone MScaler without the CD drive.

And just imagine it taking 2 years before a stand alone MScaler comes on the horizon and that there might have been several price rises that ultimately means that a stand alone MScaler ends up costing more than the current price of the Blu2.

Buy the Blu2 now. You know it makes sense!

 

[Sunya]

I must say I got sick of all this MQA shoveling on our throat.

 

[tunes]

What is the best speakers anyone has heard paired with the DAVE with or without the M scaler powered or unpowered??

Is an amp needed to drive speakers with enough bass slam direct from the DAVE?

 

[Imusicman]

What is the best speakers anyone has heard paired with the DAVE with or without the M scaler powered or unpowered??

Is an amp needed to drive speakers with enough bass slam direct from the DAVE?

I'm also interested to know the answer

 

[Clive101]

That's what I call forward thinking (hoping) with the Blu2 only having started shipping production units about two weeks ago!! I suspect you realise that the Blu2 MScaler has a product life of several years and that a stand alone MScaler is quite a few (many?) years away. Rob has already said that a combined Dave / MScaler might be 10 years away as it will rely on components that don't currently exist.

Personally I will certainly have a CD player for at least the next 5 years and maybe longer so having the Blu2 means I can dispense with another box for the CD function.

From what I have seen of pictures of peoples systems, many could afford a Blu2 MScaler now if they got rid of their super expensive power leads!!

Yes, stand alone mScaler could be a few years away and wishfull thinking but as we all want a mScaler we maybe have to purchase another platform which makes a good business sense, more profit for Chord ( no criticism they need it to R&D etc ).

I just wish Chord not make a stand alone mScaler with a little more profit added in, rather than paying for a cd transport.

The cost difference blu mk 1 and 2 is approx. £1500.00 so if you want a CD transport extremely good value but perhaps not if you do not need the CD transport.

When I referred to an add on box I was thinking of a poly type solution which would perhaps saved cable issues..? ( I had read the earlier comments of R Watts )

You make a very interesting point on the power cables, got me thinking would it be better to purchase a Blu mk2 or power conditioner first of equal value ...? Perhaps I should post that over in the Blu Mk2 thread...?

 

[AndrewOld]

I also doubt that a standalone unit would be significantly cheaper than Blu II. Sure, you'd lose the CD transport, but they'd surely need to add various other inputs as per Dave, maybe Ethernet as well, maybe even a built in streamer like the DSX1000 that I had prior to Dave.

I wonder whether people may be over estimating the cost of the CD drive and assume that if you strip it out, you get an M Scaler at half the price. I don't think that is how it would pan out myself.

Of course a stand-alone M Scaler would cost less. Maybe not half, but substantially less. The casework for the CD player is expensive, the mechanism and electronics also costs money, you simply cannot argue that the CD playing component of the Blu2 costs nothing, that is devaluing the Blu2, and look how much the stand alone Chord CD mechanisms used to cost. It is also reasonable to suppose that a stand-alone M Scaler might sound a little better because there would be less noise associated with the CD electronics, power supplies etc - it would be a cleaner device.

Plus one might hope that a stand alone M Scaler would possibly have a few more inputs, and they would directly selectable from the remote control - it is annoying that the DAVE does not. A built in streamer might be a good move for the many of us who don't use CDs, but perhaps that would be best left as a separate Poly like unit.

I can't see any reason at all why a stand-alone M DAC cannot be offered soon, pretty much all the work has been done. Leaving a cd mechanism out and designing a simple case can't be difficult. We know that the MScaler was already lifted out of the Davina. Then those of us committed, enthusiastic DAVE owners who aren't interested in cds, or redundant mechanisms that add cost, complexity, noise but no value would be delighted to give Chord lots more of our money as long we get a product that makes sense.

Alternatively I'll just wait for a Poly with a built in LW tuner, a Mojo3 with a cassette mechanism, a Blu3 with a turntable ... how about a DAVE2 with a wind-up handle and horn?

 

[Clive101]

I also doubt that a standalone unit would be significantly cheaper than Blu II. Sure, you'd lose the CD transport, but they'd surely need to add various other inputs as per Dave, maybe Ethernet as well, maybe even a built in streamer like the DSX1000 that I had prior to Dave.

I wonder whether people may be over estimating the cost of the CD drive and assume that if you strip it out, you get an M Scaler at half the price. I don't think that is how it would pan out myself.

The difference is £1500.00 approx. plus box, power supply, and profit. give or take..?
Note Chord Blu Mk2 had a new box redesigned.

 

[AndrewOld]

The difference is £1500.00 approx. plus box, power supply, and profit. give or take..?
Note Chord Blu Mk2 had a new box redesigned.

That's a good point. It kind of implies that the marginal cost of the M Scaler is £1500. So, as you say, add a (simpler) box ... (simpler) power supply ...

Might it not be really sensible for Chord to consider the stand alone M Scaler soon, given the way Brexit is pushing prices up and other factors seem to be pushing component deliveries out.

At the end of the day if someone could give me a single good engineering reason why an M Scaler should be bundled with a cd mechanism I will buy a Blu2.

Until then, I live in hope. Surely good sense will prevail.