CHORD ELECTRONICS DAVE

[ZappaMan]

Did you pick up that from my post? Hope you like it. Did you see the first track is a Leonard Cohen one?

I listened to nightfall, it’s a keeper, nice and relaxing, interesting to hear the way they recorded the trumpet, the microphone must have been very close.

 

[Triode User]

I listened to nightfall, it’s a keeper, nice and relaxing, interesting to hear the way they recorded the trumpet, the microphone must have been very close.

Ah, a happy customer.

 

[STR-1]

Yes - hopefully see my posts in a few years time about new DAC developements!

As for digital and mains cables - my job is to try to eliminate sensitivities, so that any old cable will work. As far as analogue cables goes, then there are things that can be done to reduce sensitivity, but only to a limited extent.

Rob

Thanks, Rob. No doubt you would be delighted to see more powerful and more energy-efficient FPGAs that cost rather less than today’s models, but I’m also wondering what benefits some of the more exotic materials like graphine might bring to audio equipment design in the near future.

 

[tunes]

It is likely to be your particular unit. When I received my first Dave, I used the Hifiman HE1000 and HE6 with the headphone output. After a while, serious distortion on loud passages manifested itself in the right channel. The distortion sounded like clipping. I emailed Chord's customer support who noted that the Hifiman headphones are very power hungry and are probably tripping the current protection on one side sooner than the other. The problem was fixed ultimately and my current unit (a replacement) has no discernable distortion even when driving loudspeakers through the RCA outputs. You may wish to contact Chord to inspect your unit.

I have one on order. Have HEKV2.

How should I test my new unit to see if mine is defective?! What track, song, volume setting would bring this problem out??


Hope it has been addressed with QC Department!!

 

[AndrewOld]

Did you pick up that from my post? Hope you like it. Did you see the first track is a Leonard Cohen one?

That’s a lovely album, beautiful horn playing and utterly rock solid visceral bass. Been listening to it quite a bit. Pure music making. (And, just in case you’re interested, available in hires on Qobuz).

 

[ray-dude]

I have these

https://darko.audio/2010/09/omega-super-6-alnico-xrs-extended-room-speakers/

and thinking about adding a pair of

These http://www.rythmikaudio.com/F8.html

Each sub runs off XLR left and right outputs on the DAVE.

Will adding two subs to the DAVE affect in any way the RCA output quality to the main speakers run direct??

I am running the Voxativ 9.87's with my BluDAVE direct. RCA outs on DAVE are driving the high efficiency single driver Pi units, and DAVE XLR outputs on DAVE are driving the two powered bass units. I have not heard any change in sound quality when the bass units are connected or not connected

 

[Triode User]

That’s a lovely album, beautiful horn playing and utterly rock solid visceral bass. Been listening to it quite a bit. Pure music making. (And, just in case you’re interested, available in hires on Qobuz).

Yes, I have taken out the year subscription to Qobuz that gives hires streaming and a discount on hires downloads so I have bought the hires download. I got fed up with Tidal and the MQA on its Masters but that’s a discussion for another time and another place.

 

[tunes]

I am running the Voxativ 9.87's with my BluDAVE direct. RCA outs on DAVE are driving the high efficiency single driver Pi units, and DAVE XLR outputs on DAVE are driving the two powered bass units. I have not heard any change in sound quality when the bass units are connected or not connected

Wow—

That set up with Voxativ 9.87 DAVE/BLUE direct must sound amazing. For over $35K for the speakers alone, are you convinced it is better than any power amp with high end conventional 3 way speakers like Wilson’s or B & W etc?
How does your system sound with full scale symphonies, dynamic rock etc. is there anything you don’t like about the Pi?

 

[doraymon]

Checking in as the journey to acquire (...one day...) a Dave just commenced.

Phase 1: Sell all the unused gear (started yesterday with the sale of my Hugo2)
Phase 2: Find a seller/retailer and bargain to death
Phase 3: Purchase the Dave and convince the wife that it's the same black box I had before just with more lights

I feel like Frodo leaving the Shire...

Apologies for quoting my own post but I wanted to share with you my achievements on this project.
I “Fast & Furious-ed” my way to the target and 4 days after the start I have already sold 5 pieces of my gear and reached the target quota to finance the purchase.
The rest is cash.
Unfortunately I’ll have to wait 2 weeks before putting my hands on the black beauty.
sorry again for this useless post, but you are the only ones that can understand my excitement!

 

[Sleepow]

Apologies for quoting my own post but I wanted to share with you my achievements on this project.
I “Fast & Furious-ed” my way to the target and 4 days after the start I have already sold 5 pieces of my gear and reached the target quota to finance the purchase.
The rest is cash.
Unfortunately I’ll have to wait 2 weeks before putting my hands on the black beauty.
sorry again for this useless post, but you are the only ones that can understand my excitement!

I hear you: my journey will be:
Phase 1: sell my wife's unused gear: Hermes and Dior bags
Phase 2: find a dealer in France to get a better price than in Japan and pick it on my next trip home
Phase 3: pray for my wife to never open her bag boxes....
Phase 4: pretend I need to re-arrange the living room so that the appearance of a new grey box is less obvious

 

[doraymon]

I hear you: my journey will be:
Phase 1: sell my wife's unused gear: Hermes and Dior bags
Phase 2: find a dealer in France to get a better price than in Japan and pick it on my next trip home
Phase 3: pray for my wife to never open her bag boxes....
Phase 4: pretend I need to re-arrange the living room so that the appearance of a new grey box is less obvious

LOL!
Phase 4 killed me, I hear you!

 

[spotforscott]

I hear you: my journey will be:
Phase 1: sell my wife's unused gear: Hermes and Dior bags
Phase 2: find a dealer in France to get a better price than in Japan and pick it on my next trip home
Phase 3: pray for my wife to never open her bag boxes....
Phase 4: pretend I need to re-arrange the living room so that the appearance of a new grey box is less obvious

LOL, OMG, too funny. Thanks for the laugh. I can totally relate

 

[ray-dude]

Wow—

That set up with Voxativ 9.87 DAVE/BLUE direct must sound amazing. For over $35K for the speakers alone, are you convinced it is better than any power amp with high end conventional 3 way speakers like Wilson’s or B & W etc?
How does your system sound with full scale symphonies, dynamic rock etc. is there anything you don’t like about the Pi?

My beloved B&W 802d3's are sitting to the side of the room and posted for sale (*sniff*), and my Classe and Benchmark amps are sold already...hopefully that answers your question

Still tweaking/tuning everything, starting speaker cables this week, still more positioning experiments to do, power tweaks in the queue. Delighted so far, not missing the B&Ws in the slightest, huge step up from the Omegas. I only have these things partially dialed in right now, so there is more to squeeze out of them. Taking notes and keeping a journal of the process and impressions, so I'll be sure to write up when I get to a stable point.

 

[draytonklammer]

Hey guys, so I'm considering grabbing some Totem loudspeakers so I won't just be running my Abyss Phi anymore.

Can the Dave potentially drive them itself, or would it be better to use it as both the DAC and preamp stage before a power amp?

Can the Dave be both the DAC and preamp stage or will I need to go grab a preamp?

Thanks! These speakers would be replacing my Martin Logan's.

 

[x RELIC x]

Hey guys, so I'm considering grabbing some Totem loudspeakers so I won't just be running my Abyss Phi anymore.

Can the Dave potentially drive them itself, or would it be better to use it as both the DAC and preamp stage before a power amp?

Can the Dave be both the DAC and preamp stage or will I need to go grab a preamp?

Thanks! These speakers would be replacing my Martin Logan's.

Depends on the efficiency of the Totems, room size, preferred listening level, etc.. any more info to help with recommendations?

The DAVE can be both DAC and pre-amp.