[MacedonianHero]

Well, I'll be joining the club...ETA for my DAVE is later this week! Can't wait to give it a thorough listen. I loved what I heard at RMAF last year!

 

[Tom Blake]

Me too! Ordered yesterday but it will be a few weeks yet until it arrives. So excited!

 

[MacedonianHero]

Me too! Ordered yesterday but it will be a few weeks yet until it arrives. So excited!

Mine is showing this Thursday...fingers crossed!

Gonna be selling off some superfluous gear to help pay for it. If anyone is interested in a fantastic Benchmark DAC3 HGC please let me know. Later this week, I'll have my KTE Level 3 DAC / KTE SU-1 and HeadAmp GS-X Mk2 up.

 

[jlbrach]

great thing about the dave is with most headphones it does not need an external amp....thus saving money on the amp and the dave amp is actually very good......i have a moon 430 but i do not use it because i think the dave sounds best straight from the source

 

[Clive101]

Mine is showing this Thursday...fingers crossed!

Gonna be selling off some superfluous gear to help pay for it. If anyone is interested in a fantastic Benchmark DAC3 HGC please let me know. Later this week, I'll have my KTE Level 3 DAC / KTE SU-1 and HeadAmp GS-X Mk2 up.

Welcome to the club. I have tried a number of headphone amps and also agree the Dave pre straight into headphones is very difficult to beat.

Please may I know if you try Dave with your GS-X which you prefer ...?

Recently I have a brief time with the Questyle Gold Stack and compared to Dave. The result dare I say on this forum but I found the Questyle IMO very musical. At this level and cost both perform well but I did prefer the Questyle ( only tested with LCD4 ) i could live with both and perhaps i found the change refreshing.

I am not an expert or have trained ears but if i were on headphones only would have picked Questyle, I did not test in my Hifi system but would expect Dave to perform better as I tested the Questyle in a number of ways, it seemed the synergy of the system complimented the Questyle DAC.

So I am more than pleased with Dave and if the Mscaler ever comes look forward that as well.

Look forward to your comments with Dave direct to headphones

 

[Tom Blake]

Mine is showing this Thursday...fingers crossed!

Gonna be selling off some superfluous gear to help pay for it. If anyone is interested in a fantastic Benchmark DAC3 HGC please let me know. Later this week, I'll have my KTE Level 3 DAC / KTE SU-1 and HeadAmp GS-X Mk2 up.

+1. I'm going to be selling a LOT of gear to fund the DAVE. I'll be simplifying my system quite a bit and using the DAVE as amp for my Utopias and pre for my speaker rig. I went for black finish with the black/nickel stand.

 

[Tom Blake]

I'm starting to wade through this very long thread. I am curious though what people have found to be good AC cables to pair with the DAVE at an under $1K price point for 2M. I'll have to start with the stock cable due to the very large expenditure I have just made but would be looking to upgrade when I can.

 

[Clive101]

I'm starting to wade through this very long thread. I am curious though what people have found to be good AC cables to pair with the DAVE at an under $1K price point for 2M. I'll have to start with the stock cable due to the very large expenditure I have just made but would be looking to upgrade when I can.

Your get more value if you were to connect a single power chord to a mains block to condition all your system.
I found the SUB 1 k cost power cable were not as good as for example a Chord Sarum T ( other cables available )

If you purchase a mains block you may be able to use a 1mt length but other people I have spoken with seem to indicate a longer power cable ( sarum t or similar ) make more of a difference.

I purchased a Torus never looked back, as soon as you try one the money is spent.

The most important issue is test before you purchase power treatment is very important and the difference it brings.

Many ways of doing the same job.

Trying a Chord Sarum T or Torus changed my view on Power Treatment.

 

[SuperBurrito]

Mine is showing this Thursday...fingers crossed!

Mine is incoming too. Ordered nearly 7 weeks ago, seems like forever. Finally it shipped from England to the N. America distributor last week.

 

[Malcyg]

Congratulations chaps - happy listening. Let us all know how you get on.

 

[marcmccalmont]

I'm starting to wade through this very long thread. I am curious though what people have found to be good AC cables to pair with the DAVE at an under $1K price point for 2M. I'll have to start with the stock cable due to the very large expenditure I have just made but would be looking to upgrade when I can.

I'm very happy with the latest Pangea AC14SEII better than any of the really expensive ones and around $60 US AC9SEII for power amps and power conditioners about $200 US

 

[paulchiu]

wow. so many new DAVE owners. Welcome to you all...

 

[Tom Blake]

Mine is incoming too. Ordered nearly 7 weeks ago, seems like forever. Finally it shipped from England to the N. America distributor last week.

I hope mine doesn't take 7 weeks! Dealer told me 2-3 weeks. Apparently they are made to order? Makes sense considering the dollar value. I am sure Chord does not want to inventory many DAVEs. I'll be fine with my Gumby until then.

 

[Tom Blake]

Question for the DAVE experts here... Is the USB input the best sounding? Nearly 100% of my listening source is a dedicated Roon Server running Windows Server 2016 and Audiophile Optimizer 2.2b5. I come out of the server via a SOtM Cat 8 ethernet cable and into a Sonore ultraRendu, In my present system I feed USB from the ultraRendu into a Mutec MC-3+ USB. From the Mutec I go into a Schiit Gumby via BNC. I have the Mutec because the Gen 3 USB input does not sound as good on the Schiit as BNC. With the DAVE I am assuming my best bet is to ditch the Mutec and come straight out of the ultraRendu into the DAVE via USB. I am assuming DAVE needs no USB decrappifiers due to the galvanic isolation on its USB input? Additionally the Mutec will limit my sample rates to 192 kHz and it does not pass a native DSD signal like the ultraRendu can. The ultraRendu can match the DAVE with up to 768K PCM and DSD512. Thanks!

 

[Malcyg]

Question for the DAVE experts here... Is the USB input the best sounding? Nearly 100% of my listening source is a dedicated Roon Server running Windows Server 2016 and Audiophile Optimizer 2.2b5. I come out of the server via a SOtM Cat 8 ethernet cable and into a Sonore ultraRendu, In my present system I feed USB from the ultraRendu into a Mutec MC-3+ USB. From the Mutec I go into a Schiit Gumby via BNC, I have the Mutec because the Gen 3 USB input does not sound as good on the Schiit as BNC. With the DAVE I am assuming my best bet is to ditch the Mutec and come straight out of the ultraRendu into the DAVE via USB. I am assuming DAVE needs no USB decrappifiers due to the galvanic isolation on its USB input? Additionally the Mutec will limit my sample rates to 192 kHz and it does not pass a native DSD signal like the ultraRendu can. The ultraRendu can match the DAVE with up to 768K PCM and DSD512. Thanks!

Personally, I'd go straight in via USB. I found USB to be best and BNC to be the least preferred input on Dave with my other gear.