[rgs9200m]

Since I still have my physical CDs, would I get better sound quality playing them through a Blu Mk 2 and DAVE rather than just my ripped digital files directly through my DAVE?

In other words, is it worth saving up for a Blu Mk 2 just on the basis of sound quality alone?
Thank you.
[I'm asking the others here on this thread, and I'd be very grateful for any comment from Rob or Chord also. Thank you.]

 

[etnt]

your ripped digital files through bludave would be (significantly) better than just through dave alone.

 

[Triode User]

Since I still have my physical CDs, would I get better sound quality playing them through a Blu Mk 2 and DAVE rather than just my ripped digital files directly through my DAVE?

In other words, is it worth saving up for a Blu Mk 2 just on the basis of sound quality alone?
Thank you.
[I'm asking the others here on this thread, and I'd be very grateful for any comment from Rob or Chord also. Thank you.]

Oh my goodness yes. That’s the whole point of Blu2.

I’m not sure about your question about Blu2 on sound quality alone. That, ie Sound quality, is the whole point of Blu2.

 

[penguin69]

In this sense, even USB will very soon be a legacy interface, if not already for new devices.

Networked interfaces seem to be the future - wireless for the mass market and maybe ethernet for audiophile gear (and hopefully maybe networked fiber?)

Perhaps a bit left-field, but I wonder if the distant future for high-end DAC's like DAVE is to ship with a built in media player. You could engineer in a GigE optical input connection (SFP/XFP) for L2 Ethernet, affording complete galavanic isolation to the DAC from the network. The data transmission restrictions associated with Toslink would become incidental because you would buffer the incoming file data and have no synchronous reliance on the source player.

The blocker for this at the moment, and perhaps for the next few years, is the fact that all home routers (as far as I can tell) exclusively use RJ45 connections for Ethernet data transmission around the network. Optical cabling remains largely the preserve of business-level switches.

Just a thought. </ducks>

 

[flyte3333]

Perhaps a bit left-field, but I wonder if the distant future for high-end DAC's like DAVE is to ship with a built in media player. You could engineer in a GigE optical input connection (SFP/XFP) for L2 Ethernet, affording complete galavanic isolation to the DAC from the network. The data transmission restrictions associated with Toslink would become incidental because you would buffer the incoming file data and have no synchronous reliance on the source player.

The blocker for this at the moment, and perhaps for the next few years, is the fact that all home routers (as far as I can tell) exclusively use RJ45 connections for Ethernet data transmission around the network. Optical cabling remains largely the preserve of business-level switches.

Just a thought. </ducks>

Now we're talkin ! This is what I was asking Rob about...

The current Playback Designs DACs (e.g. Merlot DAC) come with a fiber input. At the moment, only compatible with their music server and a USB-to-fiber converter they've made. It's capable of DSD256 rates...

Since we're on a Chord Dave thread, we don't need to worry about what is mainstream TOO much and I'm happy to consider a 'custom' solution like Playback Designs have done.

I was wondering if @Rob Watts has something like this in his plans or just his overall thoughts on the future of optical supporting PCM768kHz sample rates in his DACs

 

[rayl]

Oh my goodness yes. That’s the whole point of Blu2.

I’m not sure about your question about Blu2 on sound quality alone. That, ie Sound quality, is the whole point of Blu2.

The marketing doesn’t make it clear that the mscaler in blu2 can be used with usb and spdif. I don’t think my dealer realized this at first either until I made my objective clear. And he moves a lot of DAVEs.

 

[ZappaMan]

Since I still have my physical CDs, would I get better sound quality playing them through a Blu Mk 2 and DAVE rather than just my ripped digital files directly through my DAVE?

In other words, is it worth saving up for a Blu Mk 2 just on the basis of sound quality alone?
Thank you.
[I'm asking the others here on this thread, and I'd be very grateful for any comment from Rob or Chord also. Thank you.]

I listened to the blu-Dave, using my iPhone as an input with tidal and Onkyo hf player, and it sounded a lot like the mojo to me. However playing a cd that I knew well, I got the goosebumps and could hear the audio uplift clearly.

I’m willing to accept my ears and the situation around me we’re also factors, but that was my impression, the cds sounded much better.

I was listening with Hd650 headphones and wasn’t sure whether I needed something ‘better’ or not.

 

[GryphonGuy]

The marketing doesn’t make it clear that the mscaler in blu2 can be used with usb and spdif. I don’t think my dealer realized this at first either until I made my objective clear. And he moves a lot of DAVEs.

Sounds like your dealer is not interested in the products he sells. Just a box-pusher from your description. Look for a dealer interested in Hi-Fi!

Regards
GG

 

[rayl]

Sounds like your dealer is not interested in the products he sells. Just a box-pusher from your description. Look for a dealer interested in Hi-Fi!

Regards
GG

Nak. He has done right by me, so I have no complaints! I find him quite pleasant actually. I chalk it up to covering quite an assortment of product lines, but that what makes one stop shopping easier.

The reality is, I know there's a reference that it has a USB port and can be used as an upsampler for other digital sources, but there is no marketing material that says BluDAVE is the reference DAC offering. I am not quite sure why this isn't touted more explicitly.

 

[rgs9200m]

OK then, it looks like Blu2 + Dave may be the next step up for DAVE owners with the space and budget.
I'm still wondering somewhat if the actual physical CD playback is any better in this (ultimate?) setup...
I guess we'll wait and see until these components get into the hands of more users.

(LOL, that would sure be a throwback if real compact discs were an advantage.)

 

[Triode User]

OK then, it looks like Blu2 + Dave may be the next step up for DAVE owners with the space and budget.
I'm still wondering somewhat if the actual physical CD playback is any better in this (ultimate?) setup...
I guess we'll wait and see until these components get into the hands of more users.

(LOL, that would sure be a throwback if real compact discs were an advantage.)

There has been some discussion about CD playback in the Blu2 being the reference standard to judge the streamed options. In other words, yes the cd on Blu2 will probably beat streamed inputs but with diligence it is possible to get the streamed input to Blu2 to more or less equal the cd quality. For me the the only easy way to achieve this was with a Zenith SE but there are other cheaper options if you persevere. It is really good though to have the CD player in the Blu2 because this makes it easier to judge what is being achieved with the streamed route.

 

[marcmccalmont]

There has been some discussion about CD playback in the Blu2 being the reference standard to judge the streamed options. In other words, yes the cd on Blu2 will probably beat streamed inputs but with diligence it is possible to get the streamed input to Blu2 to more or less equal the cd quality. For me the the only easy way to achieve this was with a Zenith SE but there are other cheaper options if you persevere. It is really good though to have the CD player in the Blu2 because this makes it easier to judge what is being achieved with the streamed route.

I have found Blu2/Dave has very good Jitter/Phase noise immunity so pretty much any quality source can sound the same as the built in drive. My MSB CDIV, Aurender N10 and the Blu2 drive all sound alike. I'm waiting on a shielded dc cable for the Project CD box RS before I draw any conclusions on that and I have a terrible sounding TEAC drive that I will also try. It did take an excellent coax cable (Clearer Audio) to get the other sources to equal the internal drive. Any way you cut it the combination is really enjoyable and the sound is lifelike and sweet no regrets!

 

[statfi]

There has been some discussion about CD playback in the Blu2 being the reference standard to judge the streamed options. In other words, yes the cd on Blu2 will probably beat streamed inputs

Could some Blu2/DAVE owners comment on the pro's and con's of the sound quality from playing physical Redbook CDs vs. hi-res (e.g., 24 bit 192kHz) digital files? It seems to me like Triode User is saying Red Book is best but you can get hi-res to be almost as good. What am I missing?

 

[Crgreen]

Could some Blu2/DAVE owners comment on the pro's and con's of the sound quality from playing physical Redbook CDs vs. hi-res (e.g., 24 bit 192kHz) digital files? It seems to me like Triode User is saying Red Book is best but you can get hi-res to be almost as good. What am I missing?

I don’t think the issue is with the BluDave but with the quality of the USB feed. CD provides the benchmark for red book, which can be equalled, possibly exceeded, by USB, depending on the upstream configuration. On that issue, you have about a million possibilities.

 

[Triode User]

Could some Blu2/DAVE owners comment on the pro's and con's of the sound quality from playing physical Redbook CDs vs. hi-res (e.g., 24 bit 192kHz) digital files? It seems to me like Triode User is saying Red Book is best but you can get hi-res to be almost as good. What am I missing?

To be clear I meant on a like for like basis. ie comparing a cd played on Blu2 with the same redbook file streamed to Blu2.

It is not always easy to be sure that CDs and high res versions of the same recording have come from the same master. This makes it difficult to compare redbook and hi res files on a like for like basis.