[ZappaMan]

See links below

I thought the mojo-poly was a hair better than my Mojo via usb, but I haven’t done anything to optimize mojo. Haven’t heard the HugoTt or Qutest yet.

Thank you, I read your review before, I really wanted the Dave afterwards. After re-reading - I really want the Dave! It would be good for you to update your sing score spreadsheet impressions with Dave / blu2.

Thanks

 

[ray-dude]

Thank you, I read your review before, I really wanted the Dave afterwards. After re-reading - I really want the Dave! It would be good for you to update your sing score spreadsheet impressions with Dave / blu2.

Thanks

I thought about going through and reevaluating all the tracks in the spreadsheet when I got my Blu2, but I didn't think I could stomach the 15+ hours of additional critical listening (I would have done BluDAVE and BluHugo2 columns, but I would have had to repeat the Mojo/Hugo2/DAVE evals to reset my baseline)

Instead, when I got my Blu2, I did a spot check of Mojo/Hugo2/DAVE/BluHugo2/BluDAVE across 5-10 representative tracks and summarized it in my Blu2 review:

Using the Omega SAMs connected direct (at a reduced volume so as to not push Hugo2 past its limits), qualitatively, I would say if Mojo is an overall 4 and Hugo2 is an overall 6 and DAVE is an overall 10 (using the scale from my Mojo vs Hugo2 vs DAVE review), then BluDAVE is 40, and BluHugo2 is maybe ~25.​

The mScaler really is a milestone achievement. Given the number of people who after hearing mine, have bought one or have started to price out what they can get for a kidney on the black market, I recommend caution before auditioning one

 

[Thenewguy007]

I just purchased a Pangea AC-14SE MKII, I bought it for my WA 33 tube amp, and man what a difference it made compared to the skinny stock cable. I have been listening for just a short period and there is absolutely a difference. Cables can be snake oily so be careful of ridiculously over priced cables. The WA33 tube amp is worth every penny, make sure to demo before buying, my headphones are the Abyss Phi and Sennheiser hd 800 s.

$8,000 amp, $6,000 headphone, $10,000 DAC & a $60 power cable.

Something isn't adding up.

 

[rayl]

$8,000 amp, $6,000 headphone, $10,000 DAC & a $60 power cable.

Something isn't adding up.

Who’s offering such a good deal on the DAC after the jan price increase? Oh you meant something else doesn’t add up,..

 

[Sonic77]

$8,000 amp, $6,000 headphone, $10,000 DAC & a $60 power cable.

Something isn't adding up.

Right, what isn't adding up? Also I'm using my PS Audio Direct Stream dac with my headphone set up, not my Blu Dave set up, I use the Blu Dave set up with my speakers.

 

[Accoustic]

Who’s offering such a good deal on the DAC after the jan price increase? Oh you meant something else doesn’t add up,..

He mean reference gears with entry lvl PC that doesn’t add up.

 

[Hifi Boy]

Using the Omega SAMs connected direct (at a reduced volume so as to not push Hugo2 past its limits), qualitatively, I would say if Mojo is an overall 4 and Hugo2 is an overall 6 and DAVE is an overall 10 (using the scale from my Mojo vs Hugo2 vs DAVE review), then BluDAVE is 40, and BluHugo2 is maybe ~25.​

LOL! 40vs10, now that's some improvement! It really sucks that I didn't hear anything when listening to Blu2 last time. Next time, I'll make sure the upsamplig is turned on, because I honestly heard no difference between Dave and Blu2 when I heard it at the show.

 

[marcmccalmont]

$8,000 amp, $6,000 headphone, $10,000 DAC & a $60 power cable.

Something isn't adding up.

Sometimes very good doesn’t cost a lot of money! Would you argue a Hugo2 isn’t good because it’s $2300 and a DCS or MSB DAC is great because it costs so much? Of course not the Pangea power cords are one of hi end audio bargains they outperform or equal the performance of expensive cords at a reasonable cost!

 

[ray-dude]

LOL! 40vs10, now that's some improvement! It really sucks that I didn't hear anything when listening to Blu2 last time. Next time, I'll make sure the upsamplig is turned on, because I honestly heard no difference between Dave and Blu2 when I heard it at the show.

FWIW, with some of my headphones, I heard only a slight improvement, with others only a modest improvement. It was only with the Omegas that I heard that spectacular lift. Humbling to have kit that so clearly and mercilessly shines this bright a light on the weak links in your reproduction chain.

 

[spotforscott]

FWIW, with some of my headphones, I heard only a slight improvement, with others only a modest improvement. It was only with the Omegas that I heard that spectacular lift. Humbling to have kit that so clearly and mercilessly shines this bright a light on the weak links in your reproduction chain.

That raises an interesting question about the value of the relative value of the m-scaler to headphone users. From your description, it sounds like very poor value if you are not also using the m-scaler for a 2 channel rig.

 

[ray-dude]

That raises an interesting question about the value of the relative value of the m-scaler to headphone users. From your description, it sounds like very poor value if you are not also using the m-scaler for a 2 channel rig.

I think it all depends on your equipment (alas, everything matters at this level of performance). I saw a similar effect going from Hugo2 to DAVE: some headphones hit a scaling limit. As is our curse in this hobby, when you have any significant equipment upgrade, it starts an upgrade wave that goes through your whole chain. The Blu2 is particularly striking (at least for me) in the clarity it presents for where you need to focus your energies. Between Blu2 and DAVE, I am ~80% through replacing everything else in my system to take advantage of that magic.

In general, if your headphones are able to really take advantage of DAVE, you'll hear significant lift when you add a mScaler (you'll be amazed). In my case, that includes Focal Utopias, Sennheiser HD-800's, MrSpeakers Closed Aeon Flows, etc. (the later two especially are my go to cans with BluDAVE).

I heard significantly more lift with the Omegas (and I've heard even more lift with my Voxativs), but that just highlighted for me what is possible with the source equipment. I'm VERY eager to audition HEKv2s/Abyss Phi's/LCD-4's and some of the other headphones that others have recommended (I have a standing open invitation to owners of same in SoCal to drop by for an evening of nice wine, great music, and mScaler

 

[Sonic77]

Sometimes very good doesn’t cost a lot of money! Would you argue a Hugo2 isn’t good because it’s $2300 and a DCS or MSB DAC is great because it costs so much? Of course not the Pangea power cords are one of hi end audio bargains they outperform or equal the performance of expensive cords at a reasonable cost!

Thank you marcmccalmont. If you have been in this hobby for any length of time, you find out higher price doesn't always automatically mean better, lots of overpriced mediocre stuff out there.

 

[Accoustic]

Thank you marcmccalmont. If you have been in this hobby for any length of time, you find out higher price doesn't always automatically mean better, lots of overpriced mediocre stuff out there.

True, too many of those, we just need to look harder.

 

[spotforscott]

I think it all depends on your equipment (alas, everything matters at this level of performance). I saw a similar effect going from Hugo2 to DAVE: some headphones hit a scaling limit. As is our curse in this hobby, when you have any significant equipment upgrade, it starts an upgrade wave that goes through your whole chain. The Blu2 is particularly striking (at least for me) in the clarity it presents for where you need to focus your energies. Between Blu2 and DAVE, I am ~80% through replacing everything else in my system to take advantage of that magic.

In general, if your headphones are able to really take advantage of DAVE, you'll hear significant lift when you add a mScaler (you'll be amazed). In my case, that includes Focal Utopias, Sennheiser HD-800's, MrSpeakers Closed Aeon Flows, etc. (the later two especially are my go to cans with BluDAVE).

I heard significantly more lift with the Omegas (and I've heard even more lift with my Voxativs), but that just highlighted for me what is possible with the source equipment. I'm VERY eager to audition HEKv2s/Abyss Phi's/LCD-4's and some of the other headphones that others have recommended (I have a standing open invitation to owners of same in SoCal to drop by for an evening of nice wine, great music, and mScaler

Thanks, Ray. I was under the assumption that a TOTL headphone could not produce the depth that a 2 channel system could but could exceed 2 channel in terms of added inner detail. But that net-net, both would significantly benefit from Blu2, just in different ways. Your comments above had me wondering whether I was totally off the mark on that front. At any rate, I will be getting my first TOTL headphones this week (Abys Phi) so I will be able to judge for myself. I will be comparing to the Abyss Phi vs DAVE directly driving my 2 channel HE speakers.

 

[marcmccalmont]

Thank you marcmccalmont. If you have been in this hobby for any length of time, you find out higher price doesn't always automatically mean better, lots of overpriced mediocre stuff out there.

I’ll repeat it again for others in the last year or so several products stood out as way better than their price point:
Chord Hugo2
ProJect CD Box rs
Lifatec toslink cable
Pangea AC 14 and AC 9 power cords
Wireworld Starlight 7 USB cable
Questyle CMA 800 R headphone amp
Beyer DT 880 Pro 250 ohm
And a few products are state of the art but expensive:
Blu2/Dave
Spectral amps
Clearer Audio coax
Marc

If you really want to piss off your brother in law that has the mediocre $100,000 system spin a disk on a ProJect cd box rs lifatec tos Hugo2 Beyer dt880 Pro’s then tell him you have less than $4500 into it!